Cline Ancient Vines Carignane 2021

Carignan is the workhorse red wine grape of southern and southwestern France. Easy to grow, well suited to hot, dry climatic conditions, and a prolific producer of fruit, Carignan is the backbone of most of the house wines available by the carafe in bistros and cafés all over the region. And, if you replanted your vineyards every 40-50 years that would be the end of the story. Basic, forgettable wines at reasonable prices as background to your thoroughly enjoyable tour through the Languedoc. But then, after they have been growing for 50-60 years the Carignan vines go through an almost overnight transformation. Yields drop substantially, and suddenly the remaining fruit takes on an intensity, depth, and richness that can be positively world class. Now you find smoke, tobacco, clove spices, and caramelized bacon in the resulting wines, and who doesn’t love wine that smells like bacon?!

Where to find this wine

Accounts that have purchased this wine in the previous twelve months are listed below, alphabetically by city. Please call ahead to confirm availability or vintage

Kowalski's Eagan Wine Market
Eagan
651-328-8300

Hennepin-lake Liquors
Minneapolis
612-825-4411

Greenway Liquors
Minneapolis
612-871-3727

South Lyndale Liquor
Minneapolis
612-827-5811

Lowry Hill Liquors
Minneapolis
612-871-2500

Kowalski's Uptown Market
Minneapolis
612-377-3448

Cash Wise Liquor - Owatonna
Owatonna
507-451-8440

Morelli's Discount Liquor
Saint Paul
651-774-5961

First Grand Liquors
Saint Paul
651-227-7039

Kowalski's Shoreview Market
Shoreview
612-418-4043

Haskell's - White Bear Lake
White Bear Lake
651-426-0022