100% Merlot from selected old-vine parcels planted on clay-limestone soils covered with gravel in Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux. Prima is Château Carignan’s top cuvée, aged in French oak and built for some serious time in the cellar. The 2012 shows dark berry fruit, chocolate and mineral notes, with plenty of structure and well-developed tannins after more than a decade in bottle. Bring on the roast beef, lamb, game or a good hunk of aged cheese.