Lioco Sativa Carignan 2022

Lioco is one of California's most thoughtful and philosophically consistent small producers — founded by Matt Licklider and Kevin O'Connor with a commitment to producing wines of genuine terroir expression and restraint from some of the state's most distinctive and underappreciated vineyard sites. Lioco has been a passionate champion of Carignan — a variety that was once widely planted across California but has fallen out of fashion in favor of more commercially popular varieties — demonstrating that old-vine Carignan from the right sites can produce wines of extraordinary complexity, freshness, and food-friendliness. The Sativa is sourced from old-vine Carignan in Mendocino County, where the variety has been growing for over a century.

The 2022 Lioco Sativa Carignan is a compelling expression of this underappreciated variety in a California context — vinified with whole clusters and minimal intervention to preserve the wine's natural freshness and terroir character. Bright ruby in the glass, the nose is fragrant and complex: fresh red cherry, raspberry, and dried herbs layered with a hint of spice, iron, and a distinctive earthy, mineral depth that speaks to the old vines' deep roots. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with firm but well-integrated tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, savory finish with a distinctly old-vine character.

The Lioco Sativa Carignan 2022 is exceptional alongside grilled lamb, roasted pork, wild mushroom dishes, or a hearty charcuterie board — a California Carignan of genuine originality and natural wine character from one of the state's most committed and thoughtful producers.