Carignan blanc
Traditionally exclusive to the Tavel appellation, white Carignan is a "VIFA", une "Variété d'Intérêt à Fin d'Adaptation", authorized on an experimental basis in the blends of the AOC Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages. Its interest lies in its liveliness, its fruity and floral profile, but also its natural resistance to drought. It is a mutation of Carignan, traditionally black.
Informations
Origin: Spain (Aragon)
Location within the Rhône Valley: Southern Rhône Valley
Plantings within the Rhône Valley AOCs: A few hectares only (3 ha in 2023)
In the vineyards
Bunch and berries: Large bunches with yellow-green berries
Maturity: Mid- to late-ripening
Characteristics: Vigorous and drought resistant. Highly sensitive to powdery mildew.
Terroir: Low fertility soils
In the cellars
Characteristics: Lively wines, with moderate alcohol, an aromatic profile of fruits and flowers, ideal for enhancing blends. As with Carignan noir, the quality of the wines is linked to the crop load and the conditions of the vintage..
Wine styles: Still dry white wines; rosé wines
Fun facts
While in Spain Carignan (black) is known as Mazuelo, white Carignan is not called "Mazuelo blanco" but "Cariñena blanca". It is also very little cultivated there, compared to its more significant presence in France, whether in the Rhône Valley or in Languedoc.