Cinsault

Cinsault carries the VIVC prime name Cinsaut, variety number 2672. VIVC records France as its country of origin, so a French origin is likely. Its parentage is unknown: both parent fields in its passport are blank, and no full pedigree is recorded. The passport does flag offspring, and Cinsault's one recorded offspring is Pinotage.

• VIVC prime name: Cinsaut; VIVC variety number 2672; country of origin: France (likely)
• Parents: none recorded (parentage unknown)
• Offspring (VIVC-derived): Pinotage

Cinsault has its origins in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France and is thought to have originated in the Hérault. Thanks to its ability to tolerate extreme temperatures, resist drought and disease, and give large yields, it became an important variety in hot, arid wine regions, including South Africa. In the 19th century, the French annexation of Algeria and Morocco saw Cinsault thrive in the North African heat, while Algerian wine flooded phylloxera-ravaged France. In Lebanon, Cinsault has been grown in the Bekaa Valley since the mid-19th century. Historians think it arrived in the Cape in the 1850s under the name Hermitage, and it was almost a century later that ampelographers confirmed it was the same grape as Cinsault.

• Origins: Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France; thought to have originated in the Hérault
• 19th century: thrived in Algeria and Morocco after the French annexation
• Lebanon: grown in the Bekaa Valley since the mid-19th century
• South Africa: thought to have arrived in the Cape in the 1850s under the name Hermitage; ampelographers confirmed it as Cinsault almost a century later

Cinsault needs a lot of heat, resists drought and wind, and suits hot, dry soils. It is well suited to dryland, unirrigated bush vines. In France it grows in Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Corsica and is well suited to schist soils there, and it is used to add perfume and fruit to wines such as Minervois and Corbières. In the Rhône Valley it is concentrated in the south, in appellations including Côtes du Rhône, Tavel, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In South Africa it grows on slate, shale and decomposed granite, and varietal Cinsault comes from areas including Swartland, Darling, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Piekenierskloof. Chile's Cinsault is almost all in Itata, where the vines are dry-farmed bush vines and the best sites are on rolling hills of decomposed granite with quartz. In Lebanon it grows in the 1,000m-high Bekaa Valley. In California, the Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi's Mokelumne River sub-AVA was planted in 1886; its story begins with Joseph Spenker.

• Climate and soils: needs a lot of heat; resists drought and wind; suits hot, dry soils
• France: Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Corsica; well suited to schist soils; adds perfume and fruit to Minervois and Corbières
• Southern Rhône: grown in appellations including Côtes du Rhône, Tavel, Lirac, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• South Africa: slate, shale and decomposed granite; varietal wines from Swartland, Darling, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Piekenierskloof
• Chile: almost all in Itata, on dry-farmed bush vines; best on rolling hills of decomposed granite with quartz
• Lebanon: the 1,000m-high Bekaa Valley
• California: the Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi's Mokelumne River sub-AVA, planted in 1886

Cinsault wines have a medium colour and elegant, fruity aromas. They are supple in both structure and tannins, with moderate acidity. Its red wines are supple, fruity and expressive, and its rosés are fresh, fruity and fragrant. In South Africa its profile runs to raspberry and strawberry with floral notes, a light to medium body and light tannins. Itata Cinsault shows both red and dark fruits with liquorice, a medium body, soft, textured tannins and moderate acidity. Cape winemakers often compare Cinsault with Pinot Noir, on both wine style and value.

• Colour and aroma: medium colour; elegant, fruity aromas
• Structure: supple structure and tannins, moderate acidity
• Rosés: fresh, fruity and fragrant
• South Africa: raspberry, strawberry and floral notes; light to medium body, light tannins
• Itata, Chile: red and dark fruits, liquorice; medium body, soft and textured tannins, moderate acidity

With its lighter skins and soft perfume, Cinsault is particularly suitable for rosés and fruity, early-drinking reds, although low yields are needed to eke out much flavour. It is very high-yielding, so it needs to be carefully managed in the vineyard. It suits vinification as rosé de saignée or primeur wines, and it has the advantage over Grenache of being easy to pick by machine. In South Africa, as Bordeaux varieties grew more popular, the Cinsault vineyards that were left were used for blending, as a cheap way to bulk out varietal-labelled Cabernet and to soften its harsher tannins. Many Cape winemakers creating varietal Cinsault use whole-bunch fermentation and avoid oak.

• Rosés and fruity, early-drinking reds suit its lighter skins and soft perfume; low yields are needed for flavour
• Very high-yielding, so it needs careful management in the vineyard
• Suited to rosé de saignée and primeur wines
• Many Cape winemakers making varietal Cinsault use whole-bunch fermentation and avoid oak
• Easy to pick by machine, an advantage over Grenache

In Lebanon, Château Musar's red uses varying proportions of three red grapes: Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate traces back to Gaston Hochar, who decided in 1930 or so that Lebanon should re-establish the fine wine industry of ancient days. In South Africa, Decanter credits Eben Sadie of The Sadie Family Wines as the first to put Cinsault back on the map as a premium variety. Producers of varietal Cape Cinsault include AA Badenhorst in the Swartland and Craven Wines and Waterkloof in Stellenbosch. In Chile, De Martino makes a Viejas Tinajas Cinsault in the Itata Valley, and in California, Birichino is among the winemakers making a Bechthold Vineyard Cinsault in Lodi.

• Château Musar (Bekaa Valley, Lebanon): a red made from varying proportions of Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon
• AA Badenhorst (Swartland), Craven Wines and Waterkloof (Stellenbosch): varietal Cape Cinsaults
• De Martino Viejas Tinajas Cinsault (Itata Valley, Chile)
• Birichino Bechthold Vineyard Cinsault (Lodi, California)

Cinsaut, as the name is spelled in South Africa, was historically known there as Hermitage. For years it was the backbone of much of the Cape's wine industry, used for red wine production as well as brandy distillation, and by the 1970s it was South Africa's most widely planted grape. Pinotage, a cross of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, was developed in 1925 by Professor Abraham Perold. Cinsault's fortunes changed with the increasing popularity of Bordeaux varieties, as growers grubbed up many established old bushvine vineyards in favour of Cabernet Sauvignon. Producers have since been reclaiming old, dry-farmed bushvine vineyards to make single-varietal and single-vineyard wines.

• Name: spelled Cinsaut in South Africa, historically known as Hermitage
• Uses: red wine and brandy distillation; South Africa's most widely planted grape by the 1970s
• Pinotage: a cross of Cinsault and Pinot Noir developed in 1925 by Professor Abraham Perold
• Decline: many old bushvine vineyards grubbed up in favour of Cabernet Sauvignon as Bordeaux varieties gained popularity
• Revival: old, dry-farmed bushvine vineyards reclaimed for single-varietal and single-vineyard wines

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=2672 ; https://vins-rhone.com/en/cinsault-or-cinsaut-grape-variety Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/cinsault ; https://www.decanter.com/premium/cinsault-south-africas-new-star-from-old-vines-457581/ ; https://www.decanter.com/premium/top-cinsault-wines-spotlight-398293/ ; https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/understanding-musar-2-103656/ ; https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/The-world-s-oldest-planting-of-Cinsault-is-in-13691994.php Last verified 2026-10-19