Carignan

For other uses, seeCarignan (disambiguation).

"Plant de Ledenon" redirects here. For another wine grape that is also known as Plant De Ledenon, seeMourvèdre.

"Bois Dur" redirects here. For another wine grape that shares this as well as several other synonyms, seeGraciano.

Carignan
Grape(Vitis)
Carignan in Viala & Vermorel
Color of berry skin	Noir
Also called	Seelist of synonyms
Origin	Cariñena,Aragon
Notable regions	Languedoc,Sardinia,AlgeriaandCatalonia
Notable wines	HistoricallyCariñenaandRiojabut little used now
Hazards	Rot,powdery mildew,downy mildewandgrape worms.Late budding and ripening
VIVCnumber	2098

Carignan(French pronunciation:[kaʁiɲɑ̃];also known asMazuelo,Bovale Grande,Cariñena,Carinyena,Samsó,Carignane,andCarignano) is a redgrape varietyofSpanishorigin that is more commonly found inFrench winebut is widely planted throughout the westernMediterraneanand around the globe. Along withAramon,it was considered one of the main grapes responsible for France'swine lakeand was a substantial producer injug wineproduction inCalifornia'sCentral Valleybut in recent years, it has been reborn as a flagship wine for many cellars in the south of France as well as inCatalonia.

Ampelographersbelieve that the grape likely originated inCariñena,Aragonand was later transplanted toSardinia,elsewhere inItaly,France,Algeria,and much of theNew World.The variety was historically a component ofRioja's red wine blend. The grape's prominence in France hit a high point in 1988 when it accounted for 167,000 hectares (410,000 acres) and was France's most widely planted grape variety. That year, in a drive to increase the overall quality ofEuropean wineand to reduce the growing wine lake phenomenon, theEuropean Unionstarted an aggressivevine pull schemewhere vineyard owners were offered cash subsidies in exchange for pulling up their vines. Out of all the French wine varieties, Carignan was the most widely affected dropping by 2000 to 95,700 ha (236,000acres) and being surpassed byMerlotas the most widely planted grape.

The popularity of Carignan was largely tied to its ability to produce very largeyieldsin the range of 200hl/ha(11tons/acre). The vine does face significantviticulturalhazards with significant sensitivity to severalviticultural hazardsincluding rot,powdery mildew,downy mildew,andgrape worms.Carignan is a late budding and ripening grape which requires a warm climate in order to achieve fullphysiological ripeness.The vine also develops very thick stalk around the grape clusters which makesmechanical harvestingdifficult. It has an upright growth habit and can be grown without atrellis.

A whitegrape mutationknown asCarignan blancand a pink-berriedCarignan grisalso exists inRoussillonin small plantings of around 411 hectares (1,020 acres) and 1 hectare (2.5 acres), respectively, reported in 2008.

History

In the mid-15th century, the Crown of Aragon stretched from Eastern Spain, across Sardinia and mainland Italy all the way to the eastern Mediterranean. It is during this time that ampelographers believe that Carignan, which likely originated in Aragon, may have been introduced to these lands.

Early Italian wine writers speculated that Carignan, known as Carignano in several parts of Italy, was aPhoenician winegrape variety that was brought to the island ofSardiniaby thePhoeniciansin the 9th century BC. From there the grape is believed to have spread to otherPhoenician colonies,including the settlement atSulcis,eventually being brought to the Italian mainland and carried around the westernMediterranean basinby theancient Romans.Today, ampelographers largely discount this theory due to the lack of historical documentation or evidence fromDNA analysissuggesting a Phoenician or Italian origin. Instead, the evidence points more strongly to a Spanish origin of the grape.

Ampelographers do believe that Carignan is likely a very old variety due to its widespread plantings and the proliferation of numerous different synonyms that give testament to the grape's long history in different wine regions. The grape likely originated in the Aragon region of northwest Spain where it possibly named after the town ofCariñenain theprovince of Zaragoza.However, in Zaragoza and other parts ofCatalonia,the grape is sometimes calledSamsówhich is also used as a synonym for the French wine grapeCinsault,adding to confusion over Carignan's history in the region. Another Spanish synonym, Mazuelo, which is used in the Rioja wine region, is believed by ampelographers and wine historians to come from the commune ofMazuelain theprovince of Burgosin theCastile and Leónregion of northwest Spain.

In 2006, DNA profiling suggested a parent-offspring relationship between Carignan and the Rioja wine grapeGracianothough it was not yet clear which variety is the parent and which is the offspring. However, some grape geneticist and ampelographers such asJosé Vouillamozdispute the 2006 findings and believe that the DNA profiles of both grapes are too distinct to have a close parent-offspring relationship at all. It is more likely, Vouillamoz and others suggest, that Carignan and Graciano were the result of two separate spontaneouscrossingsof unknownVitis viniferaparents that occurred somewhere in northeast Spain.

Carignan was likely introduced to Sardinia sometime between 1323 and 1720 when the islandwas under the Spanish influenceof theCrown of Aragon.Here the grape developed in isolation to form distinctclonesunder the synonymsBovale di SpagnaandBovale Grande.At some point the grape reached Algeria where it became a high yielding "workhorse" variety that was widely exported to France to add color and weight to French wine blends. After thephylloxera epidemicdevastated French vineyards in the mid to late 19th century, plantings of Carignan grew in popularity on the French mainland. Plantings increased even more when Algeria gained independence in 1962. The grape's prominence in France hit a high point in 1988 when it accounted for 167,000 hectares (410,000 acres) and was France's most widely planted grape variety. However, as France's wine lake problem became more of a concern, authorities within the French government and European Union started an aggressive vine pull scheme where vineyard owners were offered cash subsidies in exchange for pulling up their vines.

Viticulture

Carignan leaf.

Carignan is a late budding and late ripening variety that is often one of the last grapes to beharvestedduring avintage.The vine is very vigorous and high yielding, able to easily produce 200hectoliters/hectare(approximately 10.4 tons/acres), if not kept in check by winterpruningorgreen harvestingduring thegrowing season.The late ripening nature of the grape means that it rarely achieves full ripeness unless planted invineyard soilsin very warm climates such as theMediterranean climateswhere the grape originated in or the hot Central Valley of California.

Carignan's tendency to produce short shoots with clusters that grow closely to the trunk of the vine means that it is a difficult variety to harvest mechanically. However, theeconomy of scalefor blending varieties or grapes destined for lower priced box and jug wines often do not work well with the expense and labor cost of hand-harvesting. Among the viticultural hazards that Carignan is susceptible to include powdery mildew and infestation of the vine from grape worms and theEuropean Grapevine Moth.The vine has some slight resistance to the fungal disease ofbotrytis bunch rot,downy mildew, andphomopsis.

Relationship and confusion with other grapes

Despite sharing several synonyms, such as Samsó in Catalonia, Carignan and Cinsault(pictured)are genetically distinct.

In 2003, DNA evidence confirmed that Carignan/Cariñena was the same variety as the Mazuelo (or Mazuela) grape of Rioja. This was followed by the discovery in 2007 that the Bovale di Spagna and Bovale Grande grapes of Sardinia were also identical to Carignan. DNA profiling was also able to distinguish Carignan as a distinct variety from other varieties known asBovale(including Graciano which is known on Sardinia as Bovale Sardo and Bovale Cagnulari) as well as the Valencia wine grapeBobalwhich is sometimesfield blendedin theCariñena (DO)with Carignan.

Other varieties sometimes confused with Carignan but have been conclusively proven by DNA analysis to be distinct include the Sardinian wine grapeNiedderathat is related to thePascale di Cagliarigrape which also grown on the island, Cinsault which shares the synonym Samsó in Catalonia with Carignan, the Italian wine grapeTintilia del Molisethat is grown in theLazioandMolisewine regions of central Italy and the Spanish wine grapeParraletathat is grown in theSomontanoDO of Aragon.

Grapes that are also unrelated to Carignan but share synonyms includeCarignan Boushet(aPetit BouschetandMorrastelcross),Bobal(a Spanish wine grape that is also known as Carignan d'Espagne),Aubun(a French wine grape that is also known as Carignan de Bedoin, Carignan de Bedouin, and Carignan de Gigondas),Alicante Bouschet(Frenchteinturiergrape that is also known as Carignan jaune),and Grenache (which is also known as Carignan rouge, Carignane rosso, and Carignane rousse).

Over the years Carignan has been crossed with several varieties to create new wine grapes including withCabernet Sauvignonto giveRuby Cabernetand with thePortuguese winegrapeSouzãoto produceArgaman.

Carignan blanc and gris

Carignan blanc and Carignan gris can be found to a limited extent in the French wine region of Roussillon along the Spanish border.

LikePinot noirand Grenache, Carignan has mutated to produce white-berried and pink-berried color mutations known as Carignan blanc and Carignan gris, respectively. Carignan blanc is a white mutation of the Carignan grape found primarily in theRoussillonregion.First discovered in the early 20th century, there were 1,652 hectares (4,080 acres) of the grape planted in France in the 1960s but by 2009 that figure had dropped to 411 hectares (1,020 acres). In Spain, Carignan blanc (known as Cariñena blanca throughout most of the country, Samsó blanco in Catalonia, and Carinyena blanc in theEmpordà (DO)) is even more rarely found with only 3 hectares (7.4 acres) planted throughout the country in 2008. Here the grape is mostly used for blending withMacabeo,with a very few varietal examples produced.

Like Carignan noir, both Carignan blanc and Carignan gris are late budding and late ripening varieties that are highly susceptible to powdery mildew. According toMaster of WineJancis Robinson,Carignan blanc tends to producefull-bodiedwhite wines that can have high acid and alcohol levels with very littlearomatics.While the wines tend to be "shy" in the nose, Robinson notes that the palate can be "luscious" with light, citrus notes.

Winemaking

Inwinemaking,the grape is often used as adeep coloringcomponent in blends, rather than being made in avarietalform with some exceptions. Carignan can be a difficult variety for winemakers to work due to its naturally highacidity,tannins,andastringencywhich requires a lot of skill to produce a wine of finesse and elegance. Some winemakers have experimented withcarbonic macerationand adding small amounts ofCinsaultandGrenachewith some positive results.Syrah and Grenache are considered its best blending partners being capable of yielding a softer wine with rustic fruit and perfume. In California,Ridge Vineyardshas found some success with a varietal wine made from Carignan vines that were planted in the 1880s.

Wine regions

Carignan is found around the globe with the vast majority of plantings inFrance,followed bySpainandItalywhere it is a permitted grape variety in severalappellation d'origine contrôlée(AOC),denominación de origen(DO) andDenominazione di origine controllata(DOC) regions. Elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East, plantings of the grape can be found inCroatia,Cyprus,Malta,Turkey,andIsrael.In Africa, plantings of Carignan are also found in the north Africanwine-producing countriesofMoroccoandTunisiaas well as inSouth Africa.

In theNew World,Carignan is planted in severalAmerican Viticultural Areas(AVA)s of theUnited States,particularly inCaliforniaandWashington State.Elsewhere in North America, plantings of the grape can be found inMexico.In South America, Carignan is planted inArgentina,Chile,andUruguay.In recent years, plantings of the grape have slowly increased inChinaas well asAustralia.

France

French departments where Carignan is grown.

Carignan is most widely found in southern France, particularly in theLanguedoc wineregions ofAude,Gard,andHéraultwhere it is often made asVin ordinaireand in someVin de payswines.In the late 1990s, there were over 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of the grape planted in the Aude and Hérault departments alone but by 2009 the total plantings of Carignan throughout France had dropped to 53,155 hectares (131,350 acres). While plantings of the grape in France were more than 9 times higher than the next major Carignan producing country (Spain), this drop in plantings is indicative of the global trend of decline in "workhorse varieties" like Carignan in favor of what theEuropean Uniondesignates as "improving varieties" such asGrenache,Mourvedre,andSyrah.

Plantings of Carignan are mostly limited to the warmMediterranean climatesof southern France due to the grape's inability to sufficiently ripen much further north in thecontinental climateof central France or in the dampmaritime climateofSouthwest France.Other departments with significant plantings of Carignan include thePyrénées-Orientales,Var,andVaucluse.

Spain

Old bushvine plantings of Carignan can be found in the Priorat region(vineyard pictured)of Catalonia

In 2004, Spain had around 7,000 ha (17,300 acres) of Carignan planted. By 2008 that number has dropped to around 6,130 hectares (15,100 acres),and to 5,644 hectares (13,950 acres) in 2015. The grape (traditionally called Cariñena, but now officially called Mazuelo, but also spelled Mazuela) has seen plantings sharply decline in its ancestral home of Aragon where it was once a secondary component of wine from thedenominación de origen protegida(DOP) ofCariñenaregion after Grenache.In 2009, Aragon has just 926 hectares (2,290 acres) dedicated to the grape.

The grape has found an increasing prominence in theCatalan wineregion ofPriorat,where it is the main variety in theschistousvineyard soilsof the northern half of the appellation. Around the villages ofPoboledaandPorrerain theprovince of Tarragonaarebushvinesof the grape that are more than 100 years old that are used to makevarietalwines. The grape is also found in the DOPs ofCosters del Segre,Montsant,Penedès,Tarragona,andTerra Alta.InCatalanthe grape is called Samsó or Carinyena, though it is not related to Cinsault which is also known as Samsó in Catalonia.

Outside of Catalonia, Mazuelo is mostly a secondary blending variety used to add acidity to theTempranillo-based wines ofRiojathough a few producers, such asMarqués de Murrieta,do make varietal examples of the grape. In 2008, there were 1,193 hectares (2,950 acres) of the grape in Rioja. In 2009, there were 697 hectares (1,720 acres) and 515 hectares (1,270 acres) of Carignan planted in the nearby wine regions ofCastile-La ManchaandNavarrarespectively.

Other Old World regions

More than 97% of Italian Carignan plantings are found in Sardinia(vineyard pictured)where the grape is also known as Bovale Grande.

In 2012, more than 97% of Italy's 1,748 hectares (4,320 acres) of Carignan plantings were in Sardinia with a few scattered plantings throughoutLazio,particularly theCerveteri DOC,where it is often used inroséwinemaking.TheCarignano del SulcisDenominazione di origine controllata(DOC) features a Carignan-basedrossofrom the Sardinian islands ofSant'AntiocoandSan Pietro.Here the grape is known as Bovale Grande and is also featured in the DOC wines ofCampidano di TerralbaandMandrolisai.

The grape is still popular inNorth Africain Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Carignan also played an important role in the early development of theIsraeli wineindustry. Though it is not as prominent today, it is still the country's third most widely planted red grape variety afterCabernet SauvignonandMerlotwith 800 hectares (2,000 acres) in 2009.The first serious and consistent efforts to produce quality Carignan was at 2002 byAssaf Paz,the Bordeaux trained Enologist ofVitkin winery.His persistence to produce high quality old vine Carignan encourages other producers to follow and today Israel presents an impressive range of faire to excellent examples of this verity

OtherOld World wineproducing countries with significant Carignan plantings include Croatia with 210 hectares (520 acres) in 2009, Cyprus with 366 hectares (900 acres), Malta with 10 hectares (25 acres) and Turkey with 134 hectares (330 acres) in 2010.Chinese winemakershave also experimented with growing Carignan in some of their warmer wine regions.

United States

For many years Carignan was the third most widely planted grape in California where it was a major component in the production of many varieties of jug wines.

At one point inCalifornia's wine history,Carignane (as it is known there) was the third most widely planted grape variety but has since dropped considerably in production. The majority of the vines were planted in theCentral Valleyand used to make inexpensiveboxandjug wines.In the 1970s and 1980s, Californian Carignane was one of the leading "home winemaking" grapes in production.In 2010, there were 1,373 hectares (3,390 acres) of the grape planted in the state withAmerican Viticultural AreasinContra Costa,Mendocino,andSonomacounties seeing a slight increase in interest while plantings the Central Valley have declined.

Outside of California, plantings of the grape can be found inWashington Stateas well as inMissouriandTexas.

Other New World regions

In Mexico, plantings of Carignan are found in the states ofAguascalientes,Sonora,andZacatecas.In Chile, old vines of plantings of Carignan are grown without irrigation in the Maule region which accounted for the majority of the country's 675 hectares (1,670 acres) plantings of the grape in 2008. In Argentina there was just 30 hectares (74 acres) of the grape while Uruguay had 486 hectares (1,200 acres) planted in 2009.

In Australia the grape was often confused with theBonvedrovine, which is similarly prone to diseases, but in recent years Australian winemakers have been able to identify true Carignan.Most Australian plantings of Carignan are found inSouth Australiawhere the grape is primarily used for blending. In South Africa, there were 80 hectares (200 acres) of the grape planted in 2012 with the majority found on the shale vineyard soils of thePaardebergregion inSwartland.

Synonyms

Carignan.

The grape is known under a variety ofsynonymsthrough the world. InSpanishit is known as Cariñena (particularly in Aragon), with Cariñano (also in Aragon), Mazuelo, Tinto Mazuelo, Crujillon (in Aragon) and Samsó (in Catalonia) also being used in Spain. The recent use of Samsó has been controversial because this seems to be an error, as there is a different grape called Samsó, which is France'sCinsaultbut this change was implemented due to name Cariñena (inCatalanthe grape is still generally called, 'Carinyena') being claimed by the DO body in Aragon.

In California it is spelled with an extra vowel on the end as Carignane. In Italy it is known as Gragnano while in Sardinia it is known as Bovale Grande and Carignano. In Portugal it is known as Pinot Evara even though it has no relation to thePinot familyof grapes. Other French synonyms include Carignan noir, Bois Dur, Catalan, Roussillonen, Monestel, and Plant de Lédenon.

Other recognized synonyms for Carignan include: Axina de Spagna, Babonenc, Babounenc, Blaue Shopatna, Blaue Sopatna, Blauer Carignan, Blauer Carignant, Boi Dur, Bois de Fer, Bois dure, Bovale Grande di Spagna, Bovale Mannu, Bove Duro, Bove Duro di Spagna, Cafalan Cagnolaro, Cagnolaro tinto, Calignan, Carignan Crni, Carignan Frances, Carignan Mouillan, Carignan noir, Carignane Mouilla, Carignane noir, Carignane noire, Carignane violette, Carignanne, Carignano, Carignano di Carmignano, Carignena, Carinena, Carinena Mazuela, Carinena negra, Cencibel, Crignane, Crinana, Crusillo, Girard, Girarde, Grenache du Bois, Grenache du Bois Dur, Karinjan, Karinyan, Kek Carignan, Legno Duro, Legno Duro di Portoferraio, Manuelo Tinto, Manzuela (in Rioja), Marocain, Mazuela, Mollard (in Rioja), Mounesteou, Pinot d'Evora, Plant d'Espagne, Plant de Ledenon, Pokovec, Pokovez, Samso, Samso Crusillo, Sanso, Soptna blau, Tinto Mazuela, and Uva di Spagna.

Synonyms for the white-berried mutation Carignan blanc include: Feher Carignan and Karinjan.

Synonyms for the pink-berried mutation Carignan gris include: Szuerke Carignan.

External links

• Carignan Renaissance
• Carignan at Wine on VI