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Cinsault |
This hot-climate variety thrives in the arid, windy Mediterranean basin which was its first principal area of cultivation.
Disseminated throughout the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon, it became widely planted in North Africa and Corsica due to its ability to withstand high temperatures.
Prolific and adaptable to many soil conditions, it buds relatively late, ripens early and is susceptible to problems associated with damp weather.
Cinsault’s potentially abundant yield works in direct opposition to its quality, and it has often been more appreciated for its volume than for its character. However, when yield is restricted, it can produce distinctive wines of intense color and flavor with good acidic balance.
Ripe and meaty rather than elegant, with notes of roses and almonds, Cinsault’s relatively low tannins shorten its life expectancy, with the result that it usually plays a role as part of a blend with other varieties. As such, it contributes to exceptional red and rosé wines, notably Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Tavel Rosé.
Another of Cinsault’s stellar roles arose from its popularity after migrating to South Africa in the mid-1800s. At one point accounting for nearly a third of Cape plantings, it was known until the 1970s as Hermitage, a confusing and deceptive misnomer.
Cinsault was eventually crossed with Pinot Noir in 1925. The result, which its creator, Professor A. Perold, named “Pinotage,” only achieved genuine prestige as South Africa’s signature grape in the 1960s. Cinsault is now only rarely vinified as a pure varietal wine. Also grown in Australia, Southern Italy and Lebanon. |
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Alternate Names: Cinq-saou, Plant d’Arles, Bourdales, Picardin Noir, Ottavianello, Blue Imperial |
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See Also: Grenache Noir Mourvedre Roussanne Syrah |
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