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ALTERNATIVE WINEMAKINGVITICULTURENEWS VARIETIES

We handpicked early for this variety We like making from young ganache cake on a crumbled in 2019 on 21 March as the fruit was vines. The 2019 reminds us of biscuit base. very tasty in the . Even at low similar initial releases of Nero d’Avola Carignan has surprised us. Initially Baume (13.2), it had nice red fruit (2013) and Touriga (2017). we thought it would be a blending sweetness, with moderate acidity It is a really lovely spring/summer variety but believe it has really found a and we liked the freshness of it. Upon red; it is nice lightly chilled before home in our vineyard environment. It is receival at the , the fruit was serving. It has been quite popular in our healthy and strong and makes a high gently destemmed and we kept 80% cellar door in the first six months of quality of character. People are whole berries in the ferment. Fruit was release and we find that it is a great loving cold soaked for two days, then went alternative to a if people are it — we call it ‘caravan’ for its laid-back through a traditional fermentation in 2 x looking for a light style red. It would be nature and relaxed vibe. We are also two-tonne open fermenters for 10 days, wonderful paired with a big bowl of seeking out and trying Carignan from hand plunged twice a day. We then Pipi’s in Romesco sauce and garden other parts of the world too, trying to gently pressed it to tank with free run peas, or with a cherry and chocolate define our own style, and find it is really juice and pressings combined and food friendly. Enjoy Carignan! transferred it to two-year-old French puncheons for 10 months. It was then screen filtered and bottled on 27 September 2019, and we were able to Carignan fill 500 six-packs with it. This wine is bright cherry red in By Peter Dry, Emeritus Fellow, colour, medium bodied and attractive; The Research Institute super fruity with some real personality. The berries (raspberry, blueberry, BACKGROUND Vale, Victoria and Western Australia). In mulberry) are up front juicy; liquorice South Australia, any ‘Carignan’ planted and dried herbs (laurel and thyme) Carignan (kah-ree-NYAHN) is a very old variety, probably originating before 1966 (or propagated from in the mid palate add a lovely savory vines planted before 1966) is likely to nip. There is some in , north-east Spain, where it is known as Mazuela (the preferred be Paraletta (syn. Bonvedro) or even gum lollies, balanced out with crunchy international synonym of this variety). Mourvedre (refer to Dry and Dry (2014) acidity and malt/toffee biscuits flavours Because it has been widely dispersed in for more information on this topic). in the back palate. It has quite a soft, southern Europe, it has many synonyms VITICULTURE refreshing and lingering finish with including Bovale di Spagna, Bovale beautiful young tannins. Grande (), Bovale Mannu, Budburst is late and maturity is very The wine has a nod to some of the Carignane (), Cariñano, Cariñena late. Vigour is high with erect growth good characters of Carignan, and Mazuela (Spain). habit. Bunches are large and compact but made in quite a modern, early Global area in 2010 was 80,178ha with medium berries. is high. Spur release, easy drinking style; it is fruit (32% less than 2000). More than two- pruning is generally used in Australia forward and has all natural acidity and thirds is grown in France, mainly in and elsewhere. It is very susceptible tannins. -Roussillon, but the area has to oidium but more tolerant of downy more than halved since 2000. It is often mildew and bunch rot. It is difficult blended with , to mechanically due to tight and Mourvedre. attachment of bunches. In Spain (with just 6% of global WINE area), it is mainly grown in Aragon and authorised in the blend. In Italy it There are differing opinions is mainly found in Sardinia. In regarding the quality of Carignan wines, and Tunisia (both 9% of global) it is very which generally have moderate colour, important. There are small areas in high acidity, tough tannins and tend to Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, USA (California) lack pronounced varietal characters. and Chile. Carbonic is used in France The planted area and number of to soften tannins. wine producers who use Carignan in Australia is unknown. There are at least REFERENCE 22 wine producers who claim to use Dry, P. and Dry, N. (2014) Carignan – the Carignan (of which 12 are in the Barossa unmasking of an imposter. Wine Vitic. J. Valley with the remainder in McLaren 29 (4):49-52.

For further information on this and other emerging varieties, contact Marcel Hither & Yon made its first 100% Carignan from the 2019 . The Essling at the AWRI ([email protected] or 08 8313 6600) to arrange the winery has dubbed it ‘caravan’ for its presentation of the Alternative Varieties Research to Practice program in your region. laid-back nature and relaxed feel.

50 www.winetitles.com.au WINE & VITICULTURE JOURNAL AUTUMN 2020 V35N2