2005 Coturri Carignane Testa Vineyards Mendocino County
Is it possible to have a tasty Organic wine? The Coturri Family seems to think so, as all of their wines are Certified organic, including the Carignane (pronounce Care- ig- nawn), which was at one time the most planted varietal in the U.S. This wine is actually very delicious, and although I haven’t tasted many Organic wines, this one didn’t taste off or different, which was my experience with some.
The Coturri 2005 is made from 70-year-old vines planted by the Testa family. The vineyards are dry farmed, meaning no irrigation is used. The soils at the Testa Vineyards are a naturally rich sandy loam high in nutrient.
Coturri Winery never uses grapes that have been treated with pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides. The Coturri Winery Estate Vineyards are certified by the CCOF. No SO2—no inoculation with sulfites, yeast cultures, no use of concentrates to boost sweetness, no added water, acids, or other manipulation of the wine.
Price: $20
ABV: 13.5%
Notes: Inky purple, this wine possesses fragrant black fruit notes, with a chewy structure that has lots of blackberry, vanilla, and Raspberry. The finish is pleasant, medium bodied, and lasts 30 seconds +.
Score: 90 pts
Website: www.coturriwinery.com
May 20th, 2007 at 6:00 am
No time, no read!
It seems like you came back to the blogosphere just in time for WBW 33 but that Carignan you’re reviewing turns out to be Californian (blast!) rather than Languedoc-Roussillon, which is the theme of the WBW I’m hosting this month.
It’s interesting that Carignan was the most planted varietal in the US. They’ve been pulling it up all over the South of France recently but I can say that it certainly was/is the most prevalent grape variety in the Midi… Which is why I almost want to include this post in the round-up tomorrow.
All the best Jathan,
Marcus
May 21st, 2007 at 9:26 am
Hey Marcus,
Congrats on hosting! I’ve been a bit pre-occupied lately, but you know you can fudge the rules a little bit for me right?