~$15US, 100% Carignan, Vin de Pays des cotes de Thongue, Languedoc, France

The Carignan grape has been quietly awakening in old parcels of land surrounding the Mediterrean for the past decade. The grape was an easy bet in creating the ‘jug-wines’ of 19th and early 20th century - due to the vine’s high production and vigor. Since then, many very old plots have been grafted over to the more ‘marketable’ varieties like Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.

Luckily, a good amnount remains, and vignerons are focusing on taking advantage of these old, ‘wise’ vines. In Priorat, Carignan’s importance has been recognised as a key component (sometimes sole varietal)  in world-class wines, so long as yields are controlled and the wine is carefully vinified. Similar old plantings exist throughout Southern France, where the same care is being used to restore the vineyards- and wine-making techniques like carbonic maceration and whole-cluster fermentation can improve Carignan’s expressiveness and strength.

All that being said, the 100% Varietal Font de L’Olivier is a solid artisanal French wine for $15. Milk-chocolate covered-cherries give way to a very straight, honestly-structured wine. It begins and ends stronger than the midpalate, but there is enough going on to keep things interesting…like good acidity and big tannins, some secondary herby and licorice flavors. Very dry, even after lots of breathing-time, but moutherwatering finish. The stucture here make this a natural food partner, and I’d go with a fattier meat, like duck or sausages.  Old-word styling - It’s probably not going to convert any hardcore-Shiraz drinkers,  but I’d recommend it to them anyway just to try something out of-the-box/critter-kennel.

~US$30, Grenache/Carignan/Cabernet Sauvignon, Priorat Spain

I love Priorat wines for stories and soul that goes into the wines as much as the actual liquid. From accounts and photos of the area, it’s a beautiful and dangerous other-worldly terrain that would seem unlikely to be producing much in the way of agriculture/viticulture. But in the past 20 years,a small group of producers (led by Alvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian, and Rene Barbier) have proven that through insanely hard work - world-class wines from indigenous varieties can be coaxed from the schisty, terraced cliffs.

Les Terrasses is Palacios’ entry-level Priorat cuvee, comprised of Grenache and Carignan with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. Pop and poured - zingy acidity, red fruits, but tight and astringent - so I put it away for 2 days to see how it developed. Retasted and it put on wonderful complexity and weight. Bing cherry flavors melded with a deep, herbal spiciness - primarily lavender and thyme. Immediately comparable in flavors to a Chataueneuf-du-Pape, just lighter in body. The Cabernet brings some nice cedar and currant to the midpalate with an clean tannic lift. Signature Priorat wet-slate finish, which could be lengthier. Even after 2 days open it still had very dry tannins which mark this for pairings with fattier foods - it could make your gums a little too sticky on its own. There is clearly enough fruit here to carry this wine for another day or 2 in an open bottle, or probably till 2018+ in cellar.

Personally, this is a great value @ $30 - because it affords the ability to be played with over a week - and it’s just delicious and not mind-blowingly alcoholic or too fruity or oakey. This is a finessed wine that probably wont be revelatory to the wine-drinker buying Spanish wines in the $10-15 range - but for those who drink the pricier Rhones, Shiraz, and even certain Bordeaux, this wine will have you wondering why you’d want to spend 2x or 3x this price.

~$45US - Garnacha, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah,  Priorat, Spain

Night 1: Sweet-tarts. Strong plum and raspberry fruit, black pepper and zippy acidity. Firm tannins. Very tight. Whisper of oak. Must revisit tomorrow.

Night 2: Still tight, but opened up very nicely over several more hours. Plenty of fruit, but much deeper and longer as the tannins smoothed out. Leather and herbal (basil?) aromas float in and out of focus. Sweet-tartness still a primary attribute. Definite chalky and gravelly flavors on the finish that are just delicious in contrast with the fruit and acidity. White pepper.

This is truly and elegant and subtle wine. It has a fascinating structure - a very focused and linear core of fresh fruit surrounded by a periphery of wild, darting flavors- chalk, leather, coffee, herbs, flowers, rhum agricole.

The components of the blend are so well integrated that it’s hard to tell where one’s contribution ends, and another’s begins. This is a family of 4 grapes; each speaking, but telling one story about their home vineyard. A triumph of place over style or variety.

~$28US Carignan 60%, Mourvèdre 25%, Syrah 15%, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Deep purple. A some clear barnyard poopieness on first opening. Aromatic - after the funk blew off, serious cherry and blackberries. Medium-bodied on the palate, lean, and biased towards acidity. Cherries and red fruits coming through on the palate, a strange mix of fresh acidity and damp, earthy straw. Transitions from a round, chewey entry to a sharper, bright midpalate. Long finish that starts sweet, almost confectionery - but a note of orange-pip-bitteress detracts. The carignan seems to characterize this as a more classic wine, with old-world stoicism - the mourvedre and syrah adding the fruity dimensions. Actually opening up quite nicely for a 5-year old Languedoc-Roussillon - I could see this staying fresh for another 3-4 years.

Overall, very easy to drink and not terribly complex, as long as you are okay with a little old-skool funk. It reminds me of a big, earthy Barbera d’alba, or a simple village Burgundy on steroids. Food required for total enjoyment. It worked with braised short ribs, but would work even better with an rustic wild mushroom risotto or braised pork belly. Well made and distinctive, but I can’t decide if this is rebuy - even at the price I paid (well below the $28 retail), as there are so many Barberas, Pinots, and Rhone-blends out there…

Edit - On day 2 I retasted and I realized that the Siete 7 Navarra I had, at half the price, had just as much to offer…

~$27US  60% Grenache / 35% Carignan / 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Priorat Spain

MAGENTA! Wicked color on this wine. Nose of fresh blueberries, smoked meats, and provincial herbs. Very chewey, deep-toned flavors of berries and herbs, which revealed the balancing acidity over time in the mouth. Then cabernet added a touch of tannic structure that was very well integrated. As it opened, it became softer and more liqueur-like, with some red-fruits coming into play. Very long finish, with stony and earthy notes.

This wine really offered the best of old and new world wine-styles - big and round fruit, with alluring wild herbal notes and an elegance to the overall presentation (no crazy oak, no crazy ABV, etc). Well done. A rebuy.

~$18US Grenache and Carignan blend, Roussillon, France

Pop and pour. Ridiculously aromatic. Fresh thyme, rosemary, fresh berries, vetivert, cedar, tar. I’ve never been to Roussillon, but I hope this is what a jog through the hills smells like. Very round and coating on the palate, but a fresh streak of acidity and minerality brings vigor. A balance of sweet and savory, rustic but not clumsy, exotic flavors and aromas (sandalwood? lavender? glove leather?) intertwined with red fruits. Perfectly integrated - the kind of wine that is difficult to pick apart because it is just working. This would be wondrous with roasted pork with fruit or rabbit stew. Utterly compelling juice and a super value to boot. And to think that this is their ‘entry-level’ wine…

~$12US 50% Garnacha / 50% Carinena, Priorat, Spain

Deep Purple color - a touch lighter than I expected. Nose was somewhat restrained - cranberries, black cherry, and plum. Refined on the palate, for a $12 wine…actually quite elegant, with firm tannins, balanced fruit (no oak-monster here!) and a surprising peak of acidity, giving it a touch of lift on the midpalate. Cranberry flavors up-front, with some tobacco and earthiness towards the finish. Medium bodied. After some air-time, the tannins smoothed out and it became a downright perfect partner to the local gourmet pizza (Dewey’s). Good work, Onix.

Overall, not the most complex wine in the world - but elegant in it’s simplicity. A strong effort and an excellent everyday drinker, without the flaws of so many in this price range can be pitfalled by (over-oaked, over-fruited, thin, flabby). Balanced. If this is the value wine from the Priorat, I can’t wait to try the big-dogs.

$12US 100% Carignan, Languedoc-roussillon, France

I tried this to gain an understanding of the Carignan grape, which appears as part of many Rhone-style blends. Good color, unremarkable and mostly opaque. Interesting nose - this wine brings a bready aroma with cooked raspberries. It smelled sweet - like a raspberry danish or an Entenmann’s berry twist. The palate was another story. It tasted flat, 1-dimensional and quickly lost character from here. There was some exotic sandalwood or betelnut notes, but it was overall tannic and simple. No finish to speak of. I think I now know why single-varietal Carignans are not too common. The grape plays a much better supporting role, especially from an aroma standpoint.

Interesting and aromatic nose, simple elsewhere… A curiousity.