Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I have always enjoyed a soft spot on my palate for Carignane. While many professionals would admit their disdain for this grape variety, especially from the southern part of France, I have found pleasure with its liveliness. The 2016 Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Old Vines Grenache is an excellent example of what it can be. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and lively. Its zippy red fruit flavors and aromas should pair it famously with a lightly-seasoned Porchetta. (Tasted: February 15, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Responsible for some of the most stunning old vine red wine on the planet, Carignan has an amazing capacity to survive dry, arid climates and still produce lovely, mouthwatering wine. In Spain it goes by the name of Mazuelo or Cariñena and while it may have originated there in the province of Aragón, its popularity lies elsewhere, particularly in Languedoc-Roussillon. Somm Secret—Historically Carignan did not enjoy the respect that it does today. In the mid 20th century, Carignan covered nearly 140,000 ha in Algeria, where it was made into low quality bulk and blending wine to supply mass-market demand.
A large Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.