After enjoying the 2005 Sutton Cellars Syrah, I very much looked forward to trying their Carignane. The 2005 Sutton Cellars Carignane, Mendocino County, Trimble Vineyard ($17), is made from old vine Carignane. Sutton Cellars has been producing old vine Carignane since 1996. Only 230 cases of this wine were made, more than their Syrah but still a very low production.
Carignane is usually used in blending. It is rare to see it stand on its own as a varietal but it can do so, if made well. Carl Sutton chose to use Carignane in a single varietal wine. He describes his Carignane as “pizza and burger wine” and also notes on the wine label that it is "BBQ Approved." So, what did I think?
The wine is a rich red in color, though not an inky red. Its nose gives a delightful scent of blueberries. The first taste of the Carignane was lush and mouth watering. And the blueberry flavor followed through on the palate. It was a smooth, easy drinking wine that had a nice, long and spicy finish. The spices were milder, more cinnamon than black pepper. There was a slight earthy tinge that was very pleasant. All the flavors meshed well and very much impressed me. This was simply an excellent wine and the bottle did not last long.
This wine would certainly go well with pizza, burgers, BBQ or any similar food. It would also be enjoyable on its own, a luscious and delicious wine. I cannot wait to open another bottle.
At its price, I think this is a great value wine, a highly recommended Drink & Buy. You won't find many low production wines of this quality at this price.
Sutton Cellars
PO Box 14697
Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: (877) 863-4633
2 comments:
Great review. I want some! I'll have to see if they have a tasting room or a place to get the wine directly from them so that on my last trip to Costco for the summer I can score some to take back to LA. Thanks for this!
Dr. Debs:
Thanks. This has become one of my favorite wines in awhile. I am returning to the wine store where I bought it this Wednesday so will try to get more for mnyself. I hope you can find some and look forward to your own review when you do.
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