This week I pulled out the Mont Gravet Carignan from my Wine Awesomeness box. I wanted to try it first because the musical selection for this wine was, “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson. I love me some Ingrid, so I was excited to try this wine. The Carignan was a 2015 vintage from Pays d’Herault, France. I sampled this wine on January 27, 2017, and noted it’s beautiful Red color. I had not had much experience with French wines so I was quite intrigued by it.
To start off, I did some research into Carignan grapes before beginning my tasting process. I found that it is a red wine grape varietal generally grown in Spain or France. This grape is both consistently late with both budding and ripening. * So just think of it as that friend who you always tell the event time is 15 minutes earlier than it actually is. It used to be the most common grape grown in France, but that honor was taken over by Merlot, and thus Carignan is less widely known now. *
After swirling, I breathed in deep from my wine glass and smelled the scents of blueberries and cherries. I was surprised! I had been expecting an earthier smell. I turned on “You and I” and started the tasting process. The first thing I noted was the very smooth finish this wine had. It was just somewhat acidic, but in a way that left me wanting more. I could taste overripe cherries and this made my mouth water. I then tried the Swiss cheese suggested pairing and was happy with how well it seemed to even out the boldness of this wine.
Overall, I gave this wine a rating of 3.5. It paired perfectly with a chilly night in and as the first wine in my Wine Awesomeness box I was very pleased.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carignan
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/carignan