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The house grapes · red

Carignan: the firm-tannin grape reborn in old vines

Carignan is a dark-colored red grape with lively acidity and firm tannin. In Spain it goes by Cariñena, Mazuelo or Samsó; in Italy, Carignano. It yields a lot, and when it yields too much the tannin turns hard. From old vines, with few grapes per plant, the story changes: that's where it makes some of the most interesting reds in southern France, Spain, Sardinia and Chile.

Where it comes from

Its origin is an open debate. In VIVC, the international grape catalog, the main name is Carignan Noir and the registered country of origin is France. DNA testing found one of its parents, a grape called Castellana Blanca; the other is still unknown. On the Spanish side, the rules of the Cariñena appellation, in Aragon, call Cariñena and Garnacha native varieties of the region.

The Spanish name, Cariñena, is also that of a town in Aragon, which the regional government links to the Roman settlement of Carae. In Rioja, the Regulatory Council says there are records of the grape there going back several centuries. And in Sardinia, the Carignano del Sulcis rules note that the grape's popular name is Axina de Spagna, meaning grape from Spain, and that one theory is that it reached the island during Spanish rule.

What it's like in the glass

Dark color, marked acidity and tannin to spare. Tannin is that grip on your gums, and in Carignan it's strong. Rioja's Regulatory Council sums it up: lots of tannin, significant acidity, ideal for aging and for giving strength to other wines in the blend. Rioja's grape profile also mentions bitter and herbal aromas, and warns: with high yields and underripe grapes, the tannin turns astringent; then it works better for young wine, made by carbonic maceration.

In poor soil, with old vines and few grapes, you get quality wine, says the same source. In Corbières, in the Languedoc, the rules explain its role in the blend, the mix of grapes: Carignan brings structure, and the others bring roundness and aromas. The result is balanced, full-bodied reds with intense red fruit and spice, which can be drunk young but also age well.

What it pairs with

High acidity and firm tannin call for food with fat and flavor. It goes well with costela no bafo (slow-cooked beef ribs), pot roast, roast kid goat, wild boar, pork leg sausage, cassoulet and feijoada: the acidity cleans your mouth between bites. It also goes with calabresa sausage pizza, cured meats, semi-cured cheese and a good burger. A young Carignan, made by carbonic maceration, light and fruity, goes with bar snacks. All suggestions: liked another pairing? Go with that one.

Where it shines today

In France, there were 33,000 hectares in 2015, according to the OIV. In Corbières it's a main grape, capped at 50% of the red vineyard and 40% of the rosé one, and the rules say it remains the favorite in the toughest spots: a hot, dry climate with wind almost 300 days a year. In the Rhône Valley it plays a supporting role: 4,104 hectares in the appellations in 2023, according to Inter Rhône.

In Spain, it shows up under three names. In Cariñena, it's one of the appellation's main grapes. In Priorat, carinyena is, alongside garnatxa negra, one of the two reds recommended by the rules. In Rioja, under the name Mazuelo, it's a minority: less than 2% of the red vineyard, used to give structure to Tempranillo in wines built for long aging.

In Sardinia, the Carignano del Sulcis appellation requires at least 85% of the grape, and the Superiore version only comes from vines trained as alberello, the low, bush-shaped little vine. In Chile, the Maule Valley has 726 hectares of Carignan, according to Wines of Chile, which describes some of the country's oldest vineyards there, dry-farmed and head-trained: a good place to find special Carignan.

Its other names

VIVC records 104 synonyms. Carignan and Carignane in France and beyond, Cariñena, Mazuelo or Mazuela and Samsó in Spain, Carignano in Italy. In Sardinia, Italy's official register recognizes Bovale Grande as an official synonym. A word of caution: Samsó also appears on VIVC's list of synonyms for Cinsault, and Mataro, which is Mourvèdre, appears on Carignan's. Grape names travel and get shuffled.

A grape from Spain on an island of sand

In southwestern Sardinia, on the island of Sant'Antioco, Carignan keeps a secret: ungrafted vines. Phylloxera, the pest that attacks the vine's roots, did no damage in the island's sandy soils. That's why the grape there is still planted on its own roots, trained as alberello latino, as the Carignano del Sulcis rules tell it. It's a way of planting that reins in the plant's vigor, so it can better withstand drought in infertile ground.

The same text offers two theories for how the grape arrived. The first: Phoenicians or Carthaginians, who ruled Sulcis through two Punic cities, Solci and Nora, today Sant'Antioco and Pula, where the largest plantings are. The second: the Spanish, centuries later, during their rule over the island. Sardinia hasn't picked one for good: it calls Carignan the grape from Spain and keeps planting it.

Top rated with Carignan

Average rating from the people who drank it (X-Wines), from 1 to 5. Tap to see the wine's page.

• Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita Velles Vinyes PrioratSpain · red · Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignonrating ★ 4.8
• Gérard Bertrand Clos d'OraFrance · red · Carignan, Syrah/Shirazrating ★ 4.6
• Bodegas Mas Alta La Creu AltaSpain · red · Carignan, Grenacherating ★ 4.5
• Costers del Siurana Clos de L'ObacSpain · red · Carignan, Syrah/Shirazrating ★ 4.5
• Ferrer Bobet Priorat Vinyes VellesSpain · red · Carignanrating ★ 4.5
• San Giovenale Habemus Lazio Rosso (White Label)Italy · red · Carignan, Grenacherating ★ 4.5
• Undurraga AltazorChile · red · Carignan, Carmenèrerating ★ 4.5
• Mas Doix DoixSpain · red · Carignan, Grenacherating ★ 4.5

See all 327 labels with Carignan in the search →