Carignan / Cariñena / Mazuelo

High-acid, high-tannin Mediterranean blender; old-vine quality.

Carignan is the workhorse Mediterranean red — high yield, high acid, high tannin — historically used to bolster blends across Languedoc, Catalonia, and Sardinia. Most plantings are unremarkable, but old-vine, low-yield Carignan from Priorat (where it is Cariñena), Rioja (as Mazuelo), and Languedoc bush-vine sites can produce concentrated, structured reds with tarry, herbal, sour-cherry character. The grape ripens late and prefers hot, dry sites; it is also planted widely in Chile and California, often labeled Carignane.