So, I'm back from the Northern California wine country, schlepping 24
bottles of mostly reds in carry-on baggage. I am especially interested
in the less usual (at least to me) varieties, such as those that are
usually used in blending but have had a good season and are being
bottled alone (there's a 1997 Valdiguie from Hop Kiln I would almost
kill for, but that's what dreams are made from!). In any case, I
brought two bottles of 2004 Carignan from Pellegrini family vinyards
which I thought was very fine, and being curious about the grape, looked
it up in the Oxford Companion to Wine. Well, they have nothing nice to
say about the carignan grape at all! ("they"? - it's probably one
person writing the article).

I sure intend to enjoy it, but do any of you have thoughts on the grape,
the wine, or the winery? How long would you lay it down for? What
would you have with it? (alas, I don't take very good notes on my wine
tasting trips, and they get worse as the trip goes on!

Jose
--
The price of freedom is... well... freedom.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jose wrote:

> I sure intend to enjoy it, but do any of you have thoughts on the grape,
> the wine, or the winery? How long would you lay it down for? What
> would you have with it? (alas, I don't take very good notes on my wine
> tasting trips, and they get worse as the trip goes on!

Jose,
One of the better reference points for Carignan(e) is the Midi in S.
France, where some people make some very interesting old vine Carignane.
My impression is of brambly blueberries and, in my limited experience,
they age reasonably well (5-10 years). Of course, I can't say how that
might relate to what you've got in your bottle, but I would say serving
it with a rustic stew or lamb would be a decent match.

HTH
Mark Lipton

Jose wrote:
> So, I'm back from the Northern California wine country, schlepping 24
> bottles of mostly reds in carry-on baggage. I am especially interested
> in the less usual (at least to me) varieties, such as those that are
> usually used in blending but have had a good season and are being
> bottled alone (there's a 1997 Valdiguie from Hop Kiln I would almost
> kill for, but that's what dreams are made from!). In any case, I
> brought two bottles of 2004 Carignan from Pellegrini family vinyards
> which I thought was very fine, and being curious about the grape, looked
> it up in the Oxford Companion to Wine. Well, they have nothing nice to
> say about the carignan grape at all! ("they"? - it's probably one
> person writing the article).
>
> I sure intend to enjoy it, but do any of you have thoughts on the grape,
> the wine, or the winery? How long would you lay it down for? What
> would you have with it? (alas, I don't take very good notes on my wine
> tasting trips, and they get worse as the trip goes on!
>
> Jose
> --
> The price of freedom is... well... freedom.
> for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Carignano is grown widely in Sardegna. I believe these are related
grapes. Rocca Rubia is excellent.

http://www.cantinadisantadi.it/