Zinfandel and Carignan Research

[Jerry D Mead]

Simi made a varietal Carignane in the Russ Green days that was delicious.

And when George Bursick was the winemaker at McDowell Valley Vineyards in Mendocino, they had a "Red Table Wine" that was just spectacular, until one day it all of a sudden became just another ordinary red table wine. When I pinned George down as to what had happened...he confessed that a 50 year old Carignane vineyard had been replanted to something else (I don't remember what now) and that had been the secret ingredient...also that he had aged stocks of it ranging from 5-10 years old.

George said "that" Carignane smelled like old cigar butts til it got about five years old, when it took on the characteristics of claret!

JDM