2014 Idlewild Carignan Testa Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (4/7/2017)
Dark fruit and wild with a firm (!) tannic backbone that grows stronger over time. There is plenty of depth for agin, so give it a few years in the cellar for its dark plum fruit and tannin to come into a more genteel form. Alternatively, did what I do, and drink it with a pizza where the assertiveness of the wine plays off the richness of the food.
Posted from CellarTracker
Love this wine, sorry to see it go from the portfolio but give Sam some kudos for going all in for Piedmont varietals. The 2014 was my favorite, perfect blend of fruit and structure.
Thanks for the note, David!!!
I agree with Tom on the discontinuation of Carignan by Idlewild.
Sure, it’s not like I have purchased tons of wine from Sam, but the 2013 “Testa Ranch” Carignan was THE wine that overcame my stubborn avoidance of Mendocino wines. If not for the Idlewild, I never would have tried the Carignan from The Princess and The Peasant, an event that struck me to my very soul. Melodramatic? Of course. Yet I probably would still be shying away from an entire county’s wines were it not for Idlewild.
To be completely honest, if there wasn’t such a regular stream of releases from my favorite wineries, I would have placed an order or two for some of Sam’s other wines (most likely the red and white blends) by now. 
Post & Vine makes an old vine blend from the Testa Vineyard. 2013 included 30% Carignane. They have released 2 vintages; $30. Made by Rebekah Wineburg who is the winemaker at Quintessa. It’s very good.