Carignan
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted pork tenderloin, grilled lamb chops, duck breast
✨ Technical Specifications
McPherson Cellars, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a cornerstone of the modern Texan wine industry. Founded by winemaker Kim McPherson, the winery honors the legacy of his father, Dr. Clinton 'Doc' McPherson, a legendary university professor and grape-growing pioneer who planted some of the state's first experimental wine grapes in the 1970s. Recognizing that traditional French varieties often struggled in the intense Texas heat, the McPhersons championed warm-climate Mediterranean varieties. This Carignan is a testament to that vision. Sourced from the high-elevation, wind-swept sandy soils of the Texas High Plains AVA, the grapes thrive under intense daytime sun and cool desert nights. The resulting wine is crafted to preserve its vibrant, rustic charm, showcasing bright red fruit, wild herb undertones, and a lively acidity that beautifully reflects the rugged terroir of the High Plains.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2000 by winemaker Kim McPherson and opened within a converted 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant in Lubbock's Depot District in 2008, McPherson Cellars honors the pioneering legacy of Dr. Clinton 'Doc' McPherson, a founding father of modern Texas viticulture. Sourcing fruit almost entirely from the wind-swept Texas High Plains AVA, the estate champions warm-climate cultivars uniquely adapted to the region's semi-arid, continental climate, sandy clay loam soils, and high elevations above 3,000 feet. Diurnal shifts preserve vibrant natural acidity, counteracting intense summer heat. Embracing a philosophy of planting to the land rather than mimicking Burgundian or Bordeaux archetypes, McPherson focuses predominantly on Rhône, Iberian, and Mediterranean varieties. Vinified primarily in stainless steel with judicious oak contact, benchmark white and rosé bottlings like The Queen Viognier, Reserve Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Les Copains White deliver crisp minerality, balanced ripeness, and distinctive regional authenticity.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Carignan