Originally from Spain, this grape is seen in many blends from the south of France as well in pockets throughout the rest of the world.  Carignan vines are naturally very productive (thus great for blending), but the best Carignan wines tending to come from old vines (vieilles vignes) where the productivity of the vines is low. Wines from these 'vieilles vignes' will burst with fruit and taste rich and smooth with much lighter tannins than Cabernet, making it a versatile sipper or for pairing with a wide variety of foods.   Chilean producers started experimenting with Carignan in the Maule Valley a number of years ago, and the results have been spectacular.  For more info on that, check out this great article from the Wines of South America website.  It lays out the pros and cons of Carignan from the wine producers side, and also highlights how small the current old vines production really is.