Carignan
Cuvée Raoul 2023
Le Mazel

Grape Variety: Carignan

Producer: Le Mazel (Gérald Oustric & Jocelyn Oustric)

Region: Valvignères, Ardèche, France

Wild Scale: 4/5

Vegan friendly wine

Winemaking: Organic Carignan grapes from 40 year old vines were harvested by hand. 10 day carbonic maceration before being pressed into stainless steel. Aged in tank for 7 months. Bottled with no fining, filtration or added sulphur.

This Wine: Natural red wine with a light body and bright acidity. As far as the Carignan grape variety goes, this is a delicate expression with black fruit matched perfectly with herbal and spice notes. Tasting great in its youth but will also age very well. 

Notes on the Winemaker: After meeting the famous Beaujolais producer Marcel Lapierre, Gérald Oustric realised it was time to stop selling grapes to the local co-cop in the Ardèche village of Valvignères and instead focus on making authentic wines with personality that reflect the natural environment of the vines. he joined forces with his sister Jocelyn to form Le Mazel which is seen now seen as a legendary domaine of the natural wine movement. The cuvées age amazingly well, particularly Larmande and Mias.