Grape – Carignan

Most conventional wine makers will use animal products for fining their wine, such as egg white or casein. Fining being the process of removing the fine particulate matter after the fermentation process such as yeast cells and proteins, to make the wine crystal clear.

Natural wine makers on the other hand eschew intervention and strive for as little manipulation in the wine making process as possible. They will therefore avoid filtration and fining and with it the need for any animal products, resulting in vegan friendly wines.

Therefore you will often find natural wines have a noticeable amount of sediment in the bottle, or appear hazy or cloudy. Natural winemakers tend to use the process of racking as the sole method of removing as much of the sediment from fermentation as possible. The wine will be allowed to settle in its fermentation vessel so as much sediment as possible settles at the bottom. The resulting clearer wine is then pumped to a new vessel with the sediment left behind.

Ollieux Romanis
'Lo Petit Fantet d’Hippolyte' Corbières Rouge 2023

Affectionately known a 'Tractor Wine' amongst our regulars, here we have an accessible, nicely balanced Corbières red that avoids being scorched and overdone in favour of ripe, toothsome red and black fruit. No oak, but still rich and bold. Find out more.

  • Region Corbiéres, Languedoc, France
  • Grapes Carignan, Grenache & Syrah
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£14.75

Quantity

Patricia & Rémi Bonneton
La Tangente 'Potion' 2021

A distinctly Mediterranean-leaning affair with this cuvée, made using Carignan harvested in Luberon. The name Potion came from the wine's tonic quality - it is so easy to drink and bursts with spicy, sun-kissed fruits. A compelling, lip-smacking red. Find out more.

  • Region Étables, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Carignan
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£27

Quantity

Testalonga
Baby Bandito 'Follow Your Dreams' 2022

A big bouncing ball of a Carignan - a world away from the heavier, more intense expressions you may link to the Languedoc or Priorat. It's all red berries like raspberry and cherry, with tart pomegranate and interesting herbaceous notes to boot. Find out more.

  • Region Bandits Kloof, Eendekuil & Piketberg, Swartland, South Africa
  • Grapes Carignan
  • Vineyard Uncertified Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£19.25

Quantity

La Luminaille
Rasteau Vin Doux Nature 2021

A luscious red dessert wine, made mainly with Grenache. A very delicately extracted example and barrel-aged, it offers cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of menthol and spice. Find out more.

  • Region Rasteau, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Grenache & Carignan
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£23.75

Quantity

Mas Coutelou
Classe 2021

At the fresher end of the Syrah-spectrum, with plenty of opulent, lip-smacking fruit. Lots of dusty blackcurrant on the nose, then glossy and vibrant in the glass. Generous and toothsome, propped up by a solid tannic backbone. Find out more.

  • Region Puimisson, Languedoc, France
  • Grapes Syrah, Grenache & Carignan
  • Vineyard Biodynamic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£25

Quantity

Le Mazel
Cuvée Raoul 2023

Vivid ruby Carignan and another delightfully light, luminous vintage, already to drinking superbly in its youth. Fruit is freshly crushed black and red cherry with a herbal lilt of wild fennel garrigue and light balsamic twang, towards a lovely sense of limestone minerals in the finish. Truly compelling wine, in the sense that once opened a bottle does not last for long! Find out more.

  • Region Valvignères, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Carignan
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£23.50

Quantity

Domaine de Ferrand
'Mistral' Côtes-du-Rhône 2022

Fruit forward, approachable Côtes du Rhône named after the local Northern wind ‘Mistral’. The wine is packed with spicy cherries and raspberries sitting nicely beside silky tannins. Find out more.

  • Region Orange, Côtes du Rhône, France
  • Grapes Grenache, Syrah, Carignan & Vaccarese
  • Vineyard Organic (uncertified)
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£20

Quantity

Vins d'en Tom
Bota 2021

Bota hails from Tom's own single hectare parcel, right outside his house. Here the alluvial soils are more rocky and some of the vines were planted as far back as the late 30s, at the end of the Spanish civil war. Bristling with spice, it is a dark, sappy wine with a robust structure and some charming Catalan rusticity. Find out more.

  • Region Empordà, Catalonia, Spain
  • Grapes Carinyena, Garnatxa, Macabeu & Picapoll
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£27.50

Quantity

La Grange Du Nord
D’Équerre 2021

Fred's entry-point cuvée, blending a roughly even split of almost every grape grown in the domaine, red and white, brought together in a direct-press. The resulting wine is a striking translucent ruby, sitting in that pale red, deep rosé intersection - be sure to drink this one chilled. Find out more.

  • Region Gard, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Clairette, Roussanne, Counoise, Grenache, Carignan & Cinsault
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£23

Quantity

Val de Combrès
Bichette 2023

An even split of Carignan, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter feels high in the mix in the aromas, giving lovely deeps fruits, cinnamon spice and coffee grounds. The super-supple mouthfeel leads into a grippy, dry finish, seasoned with wild herbs. So typically Val in its vibrant fruit character, further impressing with its sleek, silky texture. Find out more.

  • Region Luberon, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Carignan, Grenache & Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Vineyard Organic & Biodynamic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£23.50

Quantity

La Grange Du Nord
Mitan 2021

The most boldly-structured of the Grange du Nord wines, Mitan introduces a wild-edged nose of Carignan to the Grenache and Cinsault, and brings a lightly vegetal, stemmy character from the whole bunches. Giving the most textbook notes of the varietals in its expression, there are forest fruits, blackcurrants and spice, with a tannic structure that feels woven into the wine. Find out more.

  • Region Gard, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Grenache, Carignan & Cinsault
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no minimal sulphites
£30.50

Quantity

La Grange Du Nord
Cercle 2022

Gently extracted, the texture of the wine is wonderfully supple and fluid, with impressive purity of fruit. Highly digestible, the wine seems to diffuse at the edges, showing a satin-like softness, and airy quality that defies the southern heat. Find out more.

  • Region Gard, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Grenache, Carignan & Counoise
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£28.50

Quantity

Le Mazel
Cuvée Raoul 2023 MAGNUM

Vivid ruby Carignan and another delightfully light, luminous vintage, already to drinking superbly in its youth. Fruit is freshly crushed black and red cherry with a herbal lilt of wild fennel garrigue and light balsamic twang, towards a lovely sense of limestone minerals in the finish. Truly compelling wine, in the sense that once opened a bottle does not last for long! Find out more.

  • Region Valvignères, Ardèche, France
  • Grapes Carignan
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£51.50

Quantity

Val de Combrès
La Lumiere 2022

Sumptuous black cherry fruit and spice jostle together with grippy, dialled-back tannins. A playful, well-rounded bouncing ball of a wine with bags of charm. Reflecting the vintage it shows some real heat this time, but Val has kept the balance perfectly and it is as easy-drinking as ever. Find out more.

  • Region Luberon, Southern Rhône, France
  • Grapes Carigan & Grenache
  • Vineyard Organic & Biodynamic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£23.50

Quantity