Cinsaut
A heat-loving founder variety of southern France, valued for perfumed, light-bodied reds and roses, and a parent of Pinotage.
About Cinsaut
Cinsaut (also spelled Cinsault) is an ancient, heat-tolerant workhorse of the southern French vineyard, probably native to the Herault. Thin-skinned and generous of crop, it makes pale, low-tannin wines of red cherry, strawberry and floral perfume, with a soft, refreshing character. For generations it played a supporting role, softening the sturdier Grenache, Syrah and Carignan in Languedoc and southern Rhone blends and lending finesse to Provencal rose. Its genetic reach is wide: crossed with Pinot Noir it produced South Africa's Pinotage. Long undervalued, Cinsaut has enjoyed a revival as growers rediscover old bush vines in the Languedoc, South Africa's Swartland and Lebanon, bottling it as a light, chillable, gently perfumed varietal red that suits modern, fresher tastes in wine.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Look for old-vine varietal bottlings from the Languedoc and South Africa; serve slightly chilled. A reliable component behind southern French roses.