©2008, The Birmingham Post
The modern approach to packaging a wine is to label by grape variety. The consumer feels safe and confident buying a familiar Chardonnay or Merlot, particularly in a field often shrouded in mystique and snobbery.
A generation ago, before the New World onslaught, wines were labelled generically by their place of origin. Bordeaux, Rhone and Rioja all featured prominently and no-one was bothered about the grape. The appellation signified the brand and there was little recognition that these classic wines were a blend of two or more varieties.
Historically, certain wine-producing regions based their wines on single varieties, and others on blends. Burgundy, for example, makes whites from Chardonnay and reds from Pinot Noir, yet the Bordeaux equivalent are invariably blended. Why?
Perhaps the primary influence is the weather. In Continental Europe, the climate is drier and more consistent, with hot summers and cold winters. By contrast, regions with a maritime influence are prone to wetter and more inconsistent weather, so rely on more than one choice of grape.
There are, of course, other ways to cope with vintage variations. In the Loire, they have adapted the wine style to suit the harvest. A thin wine from a bad year is the ideal source material for a sparkling wine. An Indian summer can lend itself to the production of a superlative sweetie. The only drawback is that the clear lack of identity can confuse the consumer, who never knows what to expect.
This approach tends to be the exception and those vignerons located in wetter regions hedge their bets by relying on grapes with different flowering and ripening periods. In Bordeaux, Merlot ripens before Cabernet Sauvignon, and therefore allows different harvesting options.
The winemakers of Chateauneuf du Pape have taken this logic to its extreme by permitting up to 13 different grapes in the final blend. In truth, I can only think of one producer, Chateau Beaucastel, who exercises this option. It is no coincidence that the climate in the Southern Rhone is Mediterranean, therefore hotter and wetter than the continental Northern Rhone, where the great wines of Hermitage and Cornas only allow one variety, Syrah.
Soils, too, play a role. In a region with mixed soil types, it's essential to find the right match. Take Bordeaux, where Merlot thrives in the cooler, moisture-retaining clay soils, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon favours the hotter, free-draining gravelly soils. The result is that Left Bank claret, where most of the gravel soils are located, is based on Cabernet blends, but the Right Bank clays are ideal for Merlot.
Yet merely to concentrate on climate and soil is missing the point. Using more than one variety can bring something extra to the final blend.
Classic Bordeaux is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The former provides cassis fruit, firm backbone and tannins, whereas the latter is lusher and rounder, with more supple plummy fruit. Yet there are other varieties that are used, too, just like seasoning. Cabernet Franc gives perfume, Malbec structure, and Petit Verdot power and richness.
Across Mediterranean France, from the Southern Rhone to the Pyrenees, the best regarded wines are blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, sometimes integrated with Carignan or even Cinsault. Sadly, the constituent parts are often hidden behind a generic label which is a pity, because AOC wines from the Languedoc tend to be unbeatable in terms of character, quality and value.
Basing a wine on a single variety can therefore be restrictive. New World wine producers are acutely aware of this, and adopt a flexible approach by allowing their wines to be labelled under a single variety, often permitting up to 15% of a second or third variety to be included without necessarily declaring it. Indeed, in Chile, Merlot is more often than not fortified with the lesser known Carmenere, giving it a welcome shot in the arm.
Aware of the advantages of blending, New World winemakers have slavishly copied the classic formulae of Bordeaux and the Rhone, as well as coming up with their own original ideas. In Australia, Cabernet and Shiraz make a splendid partnership, with somewhat bizarre combinations in South Africa, incorporating their flagship Pinotage. The key point is that blends give variety, and they work.
From Bordeaux, Chateau Chadeuil 2004 is an amazing find, with delicious black-cherry fruit infused with mocha. Sold by the case by the mail-order specialists www.bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk (01452.840116), it works out at £4.85 a bottle. Cut from the same cloth is Chateau Prince Noir 2005, available at Asda for £4.98.
Higher up the food-chain is Chateau Bernadotte 1999 Haut-Medoc, a cassis-laden svelte classic, now drinking perfectly. It's listed by Tanners at £15.80.
From the Southern Rhone, Tanners Rhone Red 2005 by Perrin (£7.80) is a well-balanced Grenache blend that's soft and easy. Also commended from Tanners is Les Hauts de Gramenon (£12.95) which, although pricey, will deliver heaps of satisfaction with its vibrant spicy raspberry fruit.