Onward’s Carignan is grown in Casa Roja Vineyard of Contra Costa County, on dry-farmed bush vines rooted in sandy soil. The small berries deliver extraction, while the cooling fog that washes the site, at the juncture of San Francisco and Suisun Bays, assures firm acidity. The wine is native fermented and neutral oak aged.
It’s inky, black and fragrant with berries and spices and a pronounced licorice note. The body is ripe and sweet, saturated with plums and prunes and anisette. Firm acidity keeps the wine afloat, but its richness demands rich, savory fare: roasted meat, aged cheese, charcuterie.
14.3% abv | $30 (sample) 190 cases made
Thanks for this note. I am always interested in what producers are doing with Carignan. I am still not over the fact that Sam Bilbro stopped his Idlewild Carignan.
California Carignan is a tough sell, based on my experience trying to market it for Bonny Doon Vineyard. It can also be a little one-dimensional, revealing itself to be a better blending wine than a varietal (as in France).