The Bordeaux Blend

In the early 1970s, when California wineries were entering the modern era of U.S. wine, the belief among winemakers was, if you have quality grapes, then use them to make varietal wines.  The idea was to bring out the best characteristics of each grape, not to lose its distinctiveness in a blend.   

A wine made from only one variety was the antithesis  of wine making in the Médoc district of Bordeaux. The thinking then and now was to blend varieties into a wine that is stronger and of higher quality than a single variety.  

Growing wine grapes in the Médoc posed challenges that moved wine making toward blending. The wine
eventually, became known as the Bordeaux Blend, anchored by Cabernet Sauvignon and supported by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. 

Changes in climate and vineyard environment eventually took a toll. Once favored for bringing grace notes to the Médoc blend, Malbec and Petit Verdot now proved to be problematic and, in time, a large number of chateau decided on a typical blend consisting of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.  

Weather in Bordeaux can be unpredictable, but is usually cooler and wetter than warmer areas like California and Australia, thus ripening can be a concern.  Cabernet Sauvgnon, for instance, ripens better on the left bank vineyards of the Médoc, while Merlot is the prime variety across the river in warmer St. Emilion. 

The way to mitigate the unpredictability of localized weather is to blend varieties that ripen at different times and will compliment each other.  Each grape in the Bordeaux Blend has its champion among the chateaux.  

Here are capsule looks at the five wines that make up the Bordeaux Blend.

                                                                    

Cabernet Sauvignon needs no explanation since the variety is known throughout the wine world.  So popular is Cab, that even those regions with a marquee red grape, like Chianti and Sangiovese, sooner or later consider growing Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Aromatics and flavors for Cabernet Sauvignon vary by grape ripeness and the local terroir, especially climate.  Uneven ripeness tends toward green bean and other objectionable notes.  Over ripeness makes  wines jammy and atypical for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Peak ripeness means blackberry and black currant, while more mature wines develop cedar and cigar box accents.

Aging the wine in oak has a major influence; the higher percentage of new oak, the stronger the influence. In general, few Bordeaux chateau exceed 60% new barrels in the annual rotation. The amount of new oak used is dependent on how ripe the harvest is, with the percentage often higher in California and Australia.

                                                      

Merlot is the most planted variety in Bordeaux.  And, thanks to DNA profiling, Merlot's known ancestry is connected to Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus the claim that mature Merlot is hard to tell from mature Cabernet Sauvignon.

Plump with ripe-tasting fruit, Merlot has softer (but not fewer) tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon, an impression that helped coin the phrase, "Cabernet without the pain."  The voluptuousness of Merlot in the blend helps take the harder edge off Cabernet.

Ripe Merlot is silky and smooth, tasting of plums and dark cherries, with earthy traces of cedar and tobacco.  Under ripe Merlot smells like dill weed, or even worse, canned green beans.

To put it simply, Merlot is easy on the palate.  It's that easiness in Merlot that appeals to fans of Syrah, both wines having that appealing voluptuousness. Merlot's softness balances the harder more angular character of Cabernet Sauvignon and is a valuable part of the Bordeaux Blend.

                                                    

Cabernet Franc is the third variety in the Bordeaux Blend.  In the late 1990s, DNA profiling showed  Cabernet Franc had paired with Sauvignon Blanc to become a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.  But Franc  is more able to tolerate poor weather than Cabernet Sauvignon and it ripens earlier in the right bank vineyards of St. Emilion and Pomerol where the soils are cooler than they are in the Médoc.  

This advantage is important for the winemaker, as he or she can process Cab Franc early enough to make tank space available, if needed before Cab Sauv arrives from the vineyard.

Cabernet Franc delivers raspberry notes, backed by mineral accents, like you find in Loire reds, Bourgueil and Chinon.  Some Cab Francs are slightly herbal, with good acidity and firm tannins.  

With French Cab Franc, it's a matter of preference: Bordeaux or Loire Valley. But it's an apples and oranges argument.  The more adventurous taster will look for Cabernet Franc from Washington state, California, Australia and Northern Italy.  A fun exercise would be to decide on the percentage of Franc in Italy's Ca' del Bosco and Napa Valley's Viader.  

Malbec was used in Bordeaux to soften Cabernet Sauvignon, until Merlot came along, and then it fell out of favor, even though Malbec remains a major variety in Cahors.  When Malbec left Bordeaux, it surfaced in Argentina, out pacing Cabernet Sauvignon in popularity.  

Malbec has a deep purple-red color, ripe fruit flavors and firm but refined tannin, qualities that make Malbec an alternate choice to Cabernet Sauvignon in California, Washington state and Long Island.

Petit Verdot had fans among the Bordelaise for it's lovely violet aroma, but it lost popularity because it ripens later than Cabernet Sauvignon.  Today, PV plantings in the commune of Margaux, where the contribution can run as high as seven percent.   

The Bordeaux Blend is not just for wines made in France.  Winemakers in such far-flung places as California, Chile, Australia, Northern Italy and Washington state, have a unique combination of two or more of the five grapes, that reflect local terroir.  

Make up your own personal blend: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (from just about anywhere), Cabernet Franc (California, Loire Valley), Malbec (Argentina), Petit Verdot (California), invite a few friends over and have some fun with wine.  

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 More on AI & Wine: The hottest topic today in technology is the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.  What is the relationship of AI and wine now and in the future and how will it affect wine production and consumption?  A part of the answer is in this latest entry on AI and wine: 

Wine Industry Network has announced the next installment in the on-going Growing Forward series of free Webinars. "AI Enabled Virus Protection & Yield Forecasting for Vineyards" is set for June 18 at 10 am PDT,   to discuss "how AI is helping vineyard teams."  For more information and to register, go to wineindustryadvisor.com/growingforward.

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