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Wine Details
Price:
$18.00 per bottle
Description:
A genetic cross between Merlot and Cabernet/Carignane, this variety has not been picked up by any other Oregon winery. We have it due to a friendship with a friend who owned the only vineyard that had it planted. He brought it in from California--UC Davis. It has gorgeous, rich color, and fruit of a merlot, the drying tannins of a cab. Fascinating! This verson has some merlot in it which has improved the fruit component and softened the tannins that want to explode. Very popular in our tasting room! A great spaghetti wine! Only 100 cases made.
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Varietal Definition
Carmine:
Dr. Harold Olmos, of the University of California, created this cross of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carignane to be a Cabernet alternative for California’s ‘cool’ coastal regions. The varietal never gained any significant acreage in these coastal regions or any other vineyards in California. However, Carmine can now be found in a few far flung appellations across North America. Modest amounts of Carmine can be found in Pennsylvannia, Michigan and Oregon. Carmine is a late budder and late ripener and has a tendency to overproduce with lots of large clusters if not properly managed. The grapes of the vine benefit from black skins as can be seen in the resulting wines. Although there are few examples of Carmine based wines on the market, information suggests these wines tend to offer intense dark color, capsicum aromas and flavor with ample tannins
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Carignane:
Carignane is one of the world’s most prolific wine varieties. Thriving in warm climates, Carignane was until the late 1970s, the most widely-planted red variety in California. Hailing from Aragon, Spain, this grape is capable of deeply-colored, extracted and tannic wines of considerable alcohol. It is a late-budder and does not ripen until late in the season. Highly prone to mildew disease, it requires long, dry growing conditions. It is often used as a blending component with other, more anemic, hot-climate varieties, like Grenache and Cinsault, which typically lack the deep pigment and extract which Carignane brings to the blend.
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Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
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