Winemaker Notes
The 2015 Carignane is a concentrated essence of cherry skin and cracked cherry pit with balsamic notes of cedar and sandalwood. Rich wooly tannins up front taper back to a refreshing cut on the finish. This is a bit more generous and polished than the 2014 with a deep core of black fruit. It is a rich concentrated wine with a moderate level of soft and very fine tannins.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Carignan Testa Vineyard gives up pronounced bramble fruits notions—blackberries, mulberries and raspberries—with nuances of Ceylon tea, tobacco and fried herbs plus a waft of dusty earth. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm, grippy frame and oodles of freshness supporting the vibrant red and black berry flavors, finishing on a black pepper note.
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 and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.