Keep Calm and Carignan 2010 France

Keep Calm and Carignan 2010  made from 100% Carignan ( old vine-low yield) by the Chai au Quai for Laithwaites selling at £9.99 is a deep coloured wine with lots of character, it is young so the ruby core with purple rim are what I would expect. On the nose is a bouquet of spices complimented by black berry fruits which are juicy and fresh, there is a hint of leather and chocolate as well - the aromas invite you in and the flavours on the palate do not disappoint. The texture is noticeable immediately - silky and mouth coating, the tannins ripe and again silky and support the juicy black  fruit which is quite intense but kept fresh by the acidity and the alcohol adds to the admirable structure of the wine. The only aspect of the wine that lets it down is the length of the finish - this is much shorter than expected and disappointed all the tasters - but juicy dark fruits to its short end.
This is a wine that falls under the new designation of Vin de France ( Vin de Table with no Geographic Indication!) It is a new category which has to be made in France ( anywhere and may have mixed grapes from different region) and can have the variety on the label. It is a way that France sees that it can compete on the wider stage of the New World competative market.

Ready to drink now and at £9.99 from Laithwaites is a good buy! Enjoy.
Score : 85 ( it would have been 90 if the finish had been longer).

Quote from the Laithwaites website - This addition to the Chai au Quai range has Languedoc specialist Mark Hoddy's expertise (and humour) stamped all over it. He is an ardent fan of Carignan, an underdog grape once known mainly for cheap rosé. Treat it with respect, however - that is, harvest it at low yields from old vines - and you can produce the most amazing red wine.Mark went searching and discovered two parcels of Carignan from 80 and 100 year old vines in Fitou, with ridiculously low yields thanks to precipitous, deep shale slopes littered with those big galet stones you find in Châteauneuf. A year in French oak has lent a subtle touch of toasty spice to its fennel, liquorice and bold black fruit taste.

Domaine la Suffrène Bandol Rouge 2008 Provence, France

Domaine la Suffrène Bandol Rouge 2008 is a blend of Mouvedre, Cinsault and Carignan made by Cedric Gravier on the 45 hectares in Bandol ( across the communes of La Cadière d'Azur and Castellet) which is in the south of Provence. The vines are trained traditionally Gobolet style, green harvesting is used to limit the yield and ensure high quality grapes. The deep, deep ruby core and narrow purple rim,  smack of a quality wine which has been carefully made, abundant concentrated aromas of black juicy fruits including Black Cherries and a smattering of sweet spice with maybe a hint of Provencal Herbs ( or is this just my romantic imagination) tempt you in, and once tasted all that it promised comes true. It is dry and savoury but has a well structured array of fruits and tannins to support them and acidity to keep this well balanced palate fresh and alive. The dark fruits have spice intermingled with them, as well as leather and a savoury edge, the tannins grippy and tasty lead you to a long finish of dark fruits, leather and spice, alot to do with the prescence of Mourvedre!
The vineyards in the Bandol region are steep and hot - allowing the Mourvedre to ripen producing deep complex wines.
Supplied by Slurp at a cost of £16.55.
Score : 94

Domaine du Gravillas 2006 Carignan VdP Cotes de Brian

Domaine du Gravillas 2006 Carignan VdP Cotes de Brian

I know it is 'only' Vin de Pays - but this is where Languedoc wine becomes interesting, these guys don't follow the rules - the wine they make does not fit the laws laid down by the local appellation, they do what they think works - and does it ? YES !

The grapes come from old Carignan vines ( Lo Vielh ) planted in 1911, they are planted near the Brian river and this is the VdP - Cotes de Brian, near the village of St Jean de Minervois ( a village known for its sweet dessert wines made from the Muscat grape ).The wine growers are John and Nicole Bojanowski, and they have 8ha of vines and they make the wine next to their house in the village.

The wine comes in at £15 - when you can find it ( we bought it at Underwoods near Warwick ) after tasting it one evening there.
I am not normally a great lover of Carignan, I often find it harsh, over alcoholic and with little enjoyable body, well let me tell you this is different, the old vines and some barrel ageing, careful winemaking really serve up a fabulous wine after a little breathing time.

Peering into the glass you see the colour is not too deep,  ruby colour with a few garnet tints at the wide rim, and those slow legs dribbling down the glass after you have swirled hint at the alcohol and the silky mouth feel.
The aromas coming from the glass are of old smokey spice with red fruits ( cranberry, cherry) and there is a hint of ginger and brewed tea, it has an elegant perfumed quality and has lots of layers of interest - making the tasting even more interesting.
And yes everything on the nose comes through in your mouth, the layered fruits, spice, smoke, tea and a slight citric finish which is pleasant and medium in length, the structure is strong but silky, the tannins are ripe and velvety and the silky mouth coating sensation from the quite high alcohol ( 13.5%) makes you want another mouthful - so yes I liked it.... alot, and it made me rethink the 'I don't like carignan' comment!

The tannins are soft and this hints that you should think of drinking this in the next year or so, the fruits are present but not ripe fresh fruit but mellowed and integrated - so again - drink this up!