Winemaker Notes
Cinsault rarely gets its due. It certainly makes delightful rosé wines and it is essential in southern French red blends where it brings a lightness and grace to these hearty wines. Seldom do you see Cinsault on its own as red wine. Fred and Alex Chaudière love Cinsault, not only for its freshness and forthright red fruit flavors but for its more moderate alcohol level.
A charmer in the Southern Rhône Valley, Cinsault thrives in any hot and windy climate, and finds success in many other countries. It is a parent grape alongside Pinot Noir, of South Africa’s acclaimed red grape, Pinotage. Somm Secret—Given its relatively long history in California, Cinsualt is often “hidden” in the Zinfandel blends of Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties. Historically planted alongside Zinfandel (with Petite Sirah and Mourvedre) in the same vineyard, Cinsault is now an essential part of many “field blends.”
A sunny land braced by the influence of the Mediterranean Sea, the South of France extends from the French Riviera in the East to the rugged and mountainous Spanish border in the West. This expansive and stunning region remains the source of France's finest rosé and fortified wines, while the red and white wines continue to gain respect.
Provence, located farthest east, is revered for dry, elegant and quenching rosé wines, which make up the vast majority of the region’s production. These are typically blends of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren and other varieties.
Moving west from the Rhône Valley, spanning the Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon, Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains. Virtually every style of wine is made in Languedoc; most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley.
Bordered by the rugged eastern edge of the Pyrenees Mountains and intense sunshine, Roussillon is largely defined by Spanish influence. The arid, exposed, steep and uneven valleys of the Pyrénées-Orientales zone guarantee that grape yields are low and berries are small and concentrated. While historically recognized for the vins doux naturels of Rivesaltes, Banyuls and Maury, the region’s dry reds are beginning to achieve the notoriety the deserve.
A catchall term for the area surrounding the Languedoc and Roussillon, Pays d’Oc is the most important IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in France, producing nearly all of France’s wine under the IGP designation.