Chateau Carignan L'Orangerie de Carignan 2013
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Chateau Carignan is located at Carignan de Bordeaux, 10km to the east of Bordeaux. The dominant grape variety, as for the other right bank Appellations (Saint Emilion and Pomerol), is Merlot. This variety is in its element on the clayey limestone hillsides and offers supple, well-rounded and highly fruity wines. The Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) was defined by the French government in 1937 as an area of 3,400 hectares spread over 37 communes on the right bank of the river Garonne, forming a narrow strip of vineyards some 60km long and 5km wide from the north of Bordeaux to Langon. A great deal of technical progress has been made throughout the Côtes de Bordeaux and the wines' excellent value and quality have made them much sought after.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.