Cline Ancient Vines Carignane

Cline Ancient Vines Carignane is a full-bodied California red wine sourced from century-old vines in Contra Costa County, bottled at 750ml with 14.5% ABV. The 2022 vintage earned 93 points from The Tasting Panel, underscoring the concentrated intensity that only ultra-low-yielding heritage vineyards can deliver.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Contra Costa County, California  |  100% Carignane  |  Winery: Cline Family Cellars

Production & Heritage

Cline Family Cellars was founded in 1982 by Fred and Nancy Cline and remains family-owned and operated. The Ancient Vines Carignane draws from vineyards over a century old in Oakley, where deep sandy soils along the delta of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers naturally regulate temperature and preserve bright acidity. These old vines produce a remarkably low 2–3 tons per acre—compared to a typical 10+ tons—resulting in deeply concentrated fruit. Grapes are gently crushed to maintain a large proportion of whole berries, fermented in stainless steel, twice racked, then aged for seven months in French oak (35% new).

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe blackberry and elderberry lead, layered with vanilla, baking spice, and dried plum. A subtle floral lift emerges as the wine opens in the glass.

Taste: The entry is plush with boysenberry and blackberry jam, quickly joined by bright plum at mid-palate. A savory cracked-pepper note and hints of dark chocolate develop toward the peak, balanced by medium-plus tannins and lively acidity.

Finish: Medium-long and velvety, with lingering tobacco leaf, earthy spice, and a return of dark berry fruit. The finish stays savory rather than sweet, giving the wine a grounded, satisfying close.

How to Drink Ancient Vines Carignane

Serve at 60–65°F in a large-bowled glass; a brief 20-minute decant helps the aromatics expand. This wine stands confidently on its own as a neat pour with dinner. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try it in a Kalimotxo—the berry richness stands up to cola's sweetness without losing its identity. A red wine Sangria built around this Carignane benefits from its jammy intensity and peppery backbone. It also works in a New York Sour float, where its dark-fruit concentration adds visual drama and flavor depth atop a whiskey sour base.

Best For

• Weeknight dinners featuring grilled meats or hearty pasta
• Introducing adventurous wine drinkers to an underappreciated varietal
• Gifting someone who already knows Zinfandel and wants something different
• Building a California heritage-vineyard tasting flight

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ancient Vines Carignane taste like? It delivers bold blackberry and boysenberry jam up front, followed by savory cracked pepper, plum, and a touch of dark chocolate, all carried by a velvety texture and moderate tannins.

How does Ancient Vines Carignane compare to Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel? Both come from century-old Contra Costa County vineyards, but the Carignane tends toward darker berry fruit with more pronounced pepper and earthy, leathery notes, while the Zinfandel leans brighter with raspberry and warmer spice. The Carignane generally reads as the more savory and structured of the two.

Is Ancient Vines Carignane good for sipping neat? Absolutely—its full body, smooth tannins, and layered fruit-and-spice profile make it an engaging pour on its own, especially with a short decant to open the aromatics.

Where is Ancient Vines Carignane made? It is produced by Cline Family Cellars using grapes from century-old vineyards in Oakley, within Contra Costa County in California's San Francisco Bay AVA. The vineyards sit on deep sandy delta soils along the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.

What foods pair well with Ancient Vines Carignane? Grilled lamb chops complement the wine's peppery, earthy character. Braised short ribs mirror its dark-fruit richness. Hard aged cheeses like Manchego echo its savory depth. Herb-crusted pork loin works well against the berry and spice notes. Mushroom risotto highlights the earthy, tobacco undertones in the finish.

What sizes does Ancient Vines Carignane come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.

Is Ancient Vines Carignane worth the price? It positions as a strong mid-range value, delivering old-vine concentration and complexity that punches well above its price tier—especially given the rarity of 100-year-old Carignane vineyards in California.

Why Ancient Vines Carignane?

Century-old, sand-rooted Carignane vines are vanishingly rare in California, and Cline is one of the few producers with access to them. The naturally tiny yields of 2–3 tons per acre create a level of concentration that younger vineyards simply cannot replicate. A 93-point score from The Tasting Panel on the 2022 vintage confirms that the winemaking—gentle whole-berry fermentation, brief French oak aging—translates that vineyard intensity into the bottle without masking it. For anyone looking beyond the usual Cabernet and Zinfandel rotation, this bottling represents a genuine piece of California viticultural history at a remarkably accessible price point.