Remember those Raspberry Twisters you used to get from the corner store as a kid?

I’m instantly transported back in time. A textured raspberry flavoured wine that develops into forest fruits. Unfiltered red blend of Carignan, Syrah, Malbec and Grenache coats the mouth and provides a hit to the middle of the tongue. Young and fresh. I really like this and will be buying more…simple…

 Sigurd Wines 2019 Red Blend Rating: B+ Price: $30

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Carignane from Lodi, California. This wine is produced from 110-year-old vines from a single vineyard block.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of jammy raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate juice, fruit leather, licorice, and oak spices.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium+ ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. A medium- length finish of reduced red and black fruits with a touch of clove.

🔔 It is mindboggling that a wine made from 110-year-old grapes only costs $25. Carignane, as a grape, is known for high acidity, high tannins, and high yields. The yields with vines this old is probably not an issue. There is a lot of ripe fruit flavor, but the acid levels might be high for the average consumer. A well made honest wine preserving some heritage vines in Lodi.

 2017 Klinker Brick - Carignane @klinkerbrick ℹ️ This wine is

Bruma Ocho Carignan is a fascinating wine from Bruma

 in Mexico's Guadalupe Valley. This wine is a Blanc de Noir of Carignan. I don't know that I have ever had a Carignan wine made as a white wine before.

Harvested early, minimal skin contact (probably a few hours at most), and aged for 9 months in French oak barrels.

Yellow apple, quince, grapefruit pith, smoke, and salted almonds. Good acidity, relatively low alcohol at 11.7% ABV, and almost full body. Super clean and very refreshing. Extremely well made.

 Bruma Ocho Carignan is a fascinating wine from Bruma

2016 Lioco - Indica Mendocino County Rosé (85 pts)

- A very pale salmon color. Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of underripe strawberry, red currant, white pepper, and strong herbal notes of sage and thyme. The wine is bone dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, and medium body. Still getting a lot of underripe red fruits that are on the more tart side. Some nectarine and orange as well. The savory and herbal notes are more prevalent on the palate. Salt water, white pepper, lavender, thyme and sage. Medium- length finish. This is not overly complex, but it is nice to drink, especially on a hot day. The acidity gives this a good backbone, but meant to be drunk young. Solid quality.

 2016 Lioco - Indica Mendocino County Rosé (85 pts)

2014 Terroir al Limit - Torroja Priorat (89 pts)

- Deep ruby color with a purple tint. Medium+ intensity nose featuring a lot of black fruit (blackberries, stewed plums, bramble), violets, liquorice, smoked meat, and an inky note. Medium acidity, medium alcohol, medium+ chalky tannins, and medium body. The palate really takes you in a different direction than the nose. The wine leans on the sour side of the fruit, almost underripe (just picked is probably more accurate) and tart flavors. Blueberry, black plum, and blackberry. There is an obvious minerality to the wine shown by a salinity in the mouth, then everything is taken over by the tannins that end in a medium+ length sandy finish. The wine has an interesting texture it's almost gritty in the end, but in a good way. The flavors are deep but light on the palate. This wine is really restrained and a good look at the more elegant side of Priorat. This needs air to come out, it was very tight on day 1.

 2014 Terroir al Limit - Torroja Priorat (89 pts)

2012 Les Clos Des Grillons - Lea Terres Blanches Cotes Du Rhone (87 pts)

- Medium- ruby color. Medium intensity on the nose. Red plum, bing cherry, tree bark, liquorice, nettles, violets, and wet stone. Medium acidity, medium- stalky yet fine tannins, high alcohol, and medium+ body. Bing cherry, cherry liqueur, red plum, stewed plum, Chinese herbal tea, liquorice, and violets. Texture is a bit gritty, almost like an underripe banana. Finish is medium- length showing some mineral and cement notes. Very well made, screams out as a natural wine with minimal intervention. Alcohol is high, but in check. Definitely the defter side of the Cotes du Rhone. Love the concentration and the fruit profile.

 2012 Les Clos Des Grillons - Lea Terres Blanches Cotes Du

Elderton Western Ridge Grenache Carignan 2018

Short and sharp. Tight and dry. Little spice at the end. Quality and completely different.

So at this point I start to think, “what the **** is Carignan?” 🤔

So a bit of research and Carignan (“care-in-yen”) is a medium-bodied red wine that grows mostly in Southern France where it's a major blending grape but it has been grown in South Australia since the early 1900’s.

This is what gives this wine an edge, a difference, especially when comparing to other Grenache blends. Definitely worth a try...simple...

 Elderton Western Ridge Grenache Carignan 2018 Rating: B+

📍Côtes Catalanes, Languedoc-Rousillon, France🇫🇷

The small winery of Domaine de Majas, owned by Agnès and Alain Carrere, is working closely together with the biodynamic/natural wine-pioneer Tom Lubbe (Domaine Matassa), trying every year to improve their wines and spread the word of natural/biodynamic wine.

Destemmed clusters, maturation in concrete tanks, nothing added and only a tiny filtration.

Baked red berries; strawberry and cherry (fresh ones, but also some very, very overripe berries - almost a little rottenness - in the weird, good natural wine way, you know..), lavender, turpentine, forrest floor and horse stable. All build up as quite a complex and interesting nose.

Cherry, dried strawberry, olives and bay leaves with a long, smooth finish.

The tannins are clear but very soft, and the acidity is almost a little prickling.

This wine is serious value for money! I was a little more into the 2017, though. But it still does it’s job👌🏼🍷

 ⭐️85/100⭐️ Domaine de Majas Rouge, 2018 📍Côtes Catalanes

📍Vaison-la-Romaine, South Rhône, France🇫🇷

🍇Mainly Grenache / tiny, tiny amount of Carignan

Back in 2010 Rune Elkjær took the leap and moved to the Southern Rhône Valley near Gigondas to start producing wine, after many years in the restaurant business (former sommelier at Michelin restaurant “Kommandanten” in Copenhagen).

His wines are juicy and well structured, biodynamic and stylewise closer to the old-fashioned and original Rhône-style (from times before Parker put his mark on the region).

Masculine nose of dark berries, horse droppings, forrest floor, fresh paint, and warm spices.

The palate is well balanced with firm tannins, a fine medium richness and juciy acidity.

Talking fruit is classic, South Rhône-style with light plums, cherry and blackcurrant. Then the classic spicy and herbacious notes from the Grenache really show off: Olives, liquorice, tar, a bit of mint and Bay leaves. All mixed with big animalistic flavors of leather and beef jerky.

It’s not certified biodynamic/natural, because Elkjær is buying all grapes from local farmers (from biodynamic farming, though), and vinify by himself at the winery

 ⭐️86+/100⭐️ Elkjær-Amiel Côtes du Rhône, 2016

🍇 80% Carignan Blanc / 15% Carignan Noir / 5% Carignan Gris

Salvador is the main man behind behind the project of Cosmic Vinyaters, located in the very north-eastern part of Catalonia, 150 km north from Barcelona (10 km from the French border).

They are craftsmen focusing on small production of high quality wines, made with creativity and with the greatest respect for nature and environment. The vineyards are certified organic and the wines are super lo-fi with nothing else than grapes added during vinification, making the final product as natural as possible.

The grapes are handharvested from bush vines ranging from 6-60 years of age in 300 meters altitude.

The wine is spontaneously fermented in amphoras with 5 days maceration of all grapes. It’s aged in 70% steel tanks and 30% chestnut barrels.

Beautiful light red color - looking super juicy. And it is! It’s a bit funky on the nose (quite reductive in the beginning) but offers delicious notes of red apple skin, strawberry candy, sweet and sour cherries, a slightly dusty touch and a herbaceous undertone.

The palate is medium-bodied with a nice crunchy texture from the acidity and the mild tannins. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry juice, pomegranate, salmiak and herbs.

 ⭐️88+/100⭐️ Cosmic Vinyaters Encarinyades, 2019 📍Emporda

This new cuvee (2016) is a collaboration between legendary winemaker Eric Pfifferling and Brice & Emilie Bolognini.

Grapes are from the Bolognini’s organic vineyard in the Costières de Nîmes.

Cherry red in colour with aromas of strawberry, cherry, sea spray, a wisp of funk and a nuance of wildflowers.

Red currant, apple, pomegranate, a shake of white pepper and fresh herbs are glossed by good acidity.

Strawberry and orange zest linger between each silky sip.

Eric Pfifferling L’Anglore ‘Les Salines’ Rosé Costières de Nîmes 2016

 This new cuvee (2016) is a collaboration between legendary

Ripe, juicy fruit [blackberry cherry cranberry] is accented by a savoury streak, fresh acidity and good tannins. Crushed rock minerality, black pepper and a trace of licorice comprise the lengthy finish. Easy drinking on its own or with a wide variety of dishes, a phenomenal value. [It was fantastic with soy chorizo, roasted pepper, mushroom, ricotta, mozzarella  and cotija pizza.]

13.5% Alcohol 🍷Chateau Maris ‘Le Carignan de Maris’ 2015

 Ripe, juicy fruit [blackberry cherry cranberry] is accented

Aromas of blueberry, black cherry, plum, graham cracker, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla.

Silky tannins caress blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, plum, pomegranate and chocolate, with a shake of black pepper and baking spices. Dark fruit and an echo of licorice linger on the velvety finish.

Lush and rich, yet agile and friendly. An outstanding value at $10! It was fantastic with quinoa black bean chili with plant-based faux-beef, cheddar and queso fresco.

A blend of “usually two-thirds Syrah and one-third Carignan”. 13.8% Alcohol

Chateau Massiac ‘Sentinelle de Massiac’ Minervois 2016

 Aromas of blueberry, black cherry, plum, graham cracker

Cherry, black cherry, red currant, a bit of cranberry and earth are laced over a spicy core. Peppery spice and fruit linger between each plush sip.

Sardus Pater ‘Is Solus’ Carignano del Sulcis DOC 2016