Cinsault

  • Aromas : red fruits
  • Fairly low in tannin
  • AKA: Originally known as “Hermitage” in South Africa (although French Hermitage has none in its blend), as Ottavianello in Italy
  • Coteaux du Languedoc, Cotes de Provence, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Ventoux in France
  • Often made into rosé by itself or blended with other types to add softness and bouquet  (Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah)
  • One of the oldest south of France variety
  • France has more Cinsaut planted than Cabernet Sauvignon and there is as much planted in its former backdoor wine colonies of Algeria and Morocco, and is a major red variety in South Africa, Corsica, and Lebanon
  • Variety contributes to the production of excellent wines such as Saint-Georges d’Orques (Languedoc)
  • The Cinsault is a hill-side grape-variety
  • The tight bunches rot easily, so it does best in drier climates
  • A South African professor crossed the grape with Pinot Noir, and named it Pinotage (now the Top Red there)
  • Officially sanctioned in Châteauneuf du Pape, but used by only a few producers in their blends