2019 Pellegrini Carignane A.V.
2019 Pellegrini Carignane A.V.
Hemar Vineyard
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$35.00
/ Bottle
Allocated to Club
Wine Specs
Vintage
2019
Varietal
Carignane
Appellation
Alexander Valley
Vineyard Designation
Hemar Vineyard
Harvest Date
September 24, 2019
Acid
6.17 g/L
pH
3.62
Aging
11 months in French Oak; 29% new
Bottling Date
August 11, 2020
Alcohol %
14.1
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Introducing our first vintage of Pellegrini Hemar Vineyard Carignane; our first take on Carignane in nearly a decade, proves good things do come to those who wait. Leathery meaty aromas are balanced with light notes of ripe pluot, black pepper, and basil. The pleasantly chewy texture is balanced by dried strawberry, cassis, black plum, and vanilla.
Vineyard Notes
Hemar Vineyard sits on top of a northwest-facing ridge on the east side of Dutcher Creek Rd. These old head-trained vines are interplanted with Zinfandel, Alicante Bouchet, and a few other unidentified red cultivars, which add tremendous complexity to the palate. The rich, red soil holds moisture quite well, encouraging deep expressions of fruit out of our Carignane.
Winemaker Notes
In the 1990s-2000s, we produced a Pellegrini Carignane with old vine grapes sourced from Redwood Valley in Mendocino County. Wanting to bring back this favorite red to our portfolio, for years, we searched Sonoma County for a new vineyard to work with. Fortuitously, we were connected to Hemar Vineyard in 2019, and receive just over 3 tons. This allowed us to produce a few barrels for our Single Vineyard Series, and additionally, saignée a portion to use as a blending component for our Pellegrini Rosé.
Food Pairing Notes
Grilled tri-tip and zucchini seasoned with za'atar and fresh black pepper.
Production
Originating in Aragon, Spain, and more recently finding notoriety in the Languedoc region of France, the monster Carignane clusters can weigh up to 300 grams or more, and berry size makes most grapes look like Pinot Noir in comparison. Therefore, to achieve a maximum density of flavors, the Carignane is subject to a much greater saignée than our other red wines, at 15 gallons per ton in 2019. This also has the added benefit of adding a great range of savory characteristics to the Pellegrini Rose. Additionally, Carignane is the only wine to receive regular pump-overs instead of punch-downs, to break as few skins as possible during production to help tame the sometimes-harsh tannins associated with the varietal. Wine was aged in medium and medium-plus French oak barrels, which is to complement and tame the structured tannins. These more meaty and sweet barrels help to balance the sizeable mouthfeel and tannin structure.