12 minute read
Blending Bordeaux
Cité du Vin Musée (Photo by Mamie Boude courtesy of Vins de Bordeaux)
The place, the wine, inspiring the world
By Sylvia Jansen (DipWSET, CSW, Sommelier) and Mike Muirhead (Sommelier, ISG, CMS)
Bordeaux: it is a wine region, a city, a spectrum of wines, and the inspiration for red and white wine styles around the world. The importance and history of Bordeaux seem to loom large, yet Bordeaux is a place—and a wine style— that is truly accessible, dynamic, and exciting. Finding this side of Bordeaux is simply a matter of peeling back the layers and enjoying the scene.
Saint-Émilion at sunrise
The Place
Reflecting the daylight with what seems the shimmering fluidity of poured wine, La Cité du Vin rises from the banks of the Garonne River a short distance from Bordeaux’s city centre. La Cité du Vin is a wine museum like no other, a destination for wine lovers and professionals alike since it opened its doors in 2016.
“Especially in recent years, Bordeaux has become a destination, with a great restaurant scene for any pocketbook and a showcase for regional wines,” says Gary Hewitt, the intrepid senior buyer for Jones & Company. Visiting Bordeaux a number of times over the past two decades has given him a distinct perspective.
As the former home of Vinexpo, a huge wine trade exhibition, Bordeaux has been a regular destination for the Jones & Company buying team. Mike Muirhead, our VicePresident and buyer, agrees that when he first visited, it gave the impression of a city designed to impress, but the recent decades have seen a transformation, both in the region’s wines and in the city of Bordeaux itself.
This transformation has been a while in coming. The Romans made wine here, and the region of Bordeaux and this port city have been the centre of the wine world for a long time. The 1152 marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry, future King of England, created an alliance that saw its wines enjoy centuries of favoured tax status and a reputation among the British aristocracy. Unstoppable industrial classes emerged: Dutch merchants, followed by a well-organized Bordeaux merchant class, managed to purchase, trade, and ship the regional wines to England and far beyond.
Added to these factors have been trade classifications helping set a few Bordeaux wines on a pinnacle. The most famous classification was established in 1855, when organizers of a Paris exposition thought winery rankings would be a good idea. The classification ignored much of the region, focusing mainly on the big names of the Médoc. Four châteaux were named Premiers Crus (“first growths” in a five-tier ranking), and more than a century and a half has gone by with only one change. Châteaux Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion have continued their position at the top, in reputation and price. In 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild finally managed to become the only change—the fifth Premier Cru. Manicured roads past these châteaux reflect their lofty positions and loftier prices.
Yet Bordeaux is not just about the ones at the top. Thousands of vignerons collectively produce more than 700 million bottles of wine, more quality wine than any other French wine region. The past two decades have seen a major push toward quality from lesser-known areas and estates, creating the energy for a truly exciting wine scene. Wine lovers are seeing a fresh, refreshing sense of the new Bordeaux.
In the city itself, the makeover crews have done some impressive work, with beautiful, refurbished squares and scenic river corridors. Local produce from sea and land supplies a stunning array of restaurants, cafés, and casual wine bars. Depending on your budget, the Arachon oysters, local lamb, duck, and mushrooms might be Michelinstarred—or just the star of the dish. Beautiful regional wines round out any dinner.
La Cité du Vin showcases the city’s transformation. The museum is as innovative and fun inside as it appears outside. Themed tours around the connections among wine, culture, and history give a sense of wine’s rich contribution to the travels of the human family. Moreover, your tour ends with a glass of wine in the top-floor tasting room, overlooking this amazing city.
Wine Picks from Bordeaux
Famous Appellations
1. Château Siran 2016 Margaux AC ($89.99) 2. Château Langoa Barton 2010 Saint-Julien AC ($201.99) Gironde Estuary3. Château Branaire-Ducru 2017 Saint-Julien AC ($188.99) 4. Château Lynch Moussas 2016 Pauillac AC ($112.99) 5. Château Haut-Bailly 2015 Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan AC ($425.99) 6. Château La Cabanne 2016 Pomerol AC ($97.99) 7. Thunevin Envy de Valandraud 2016 Grand Cru Saint-Émilion AC ($68.99)
Discoveries
8. Château Fleur Haut Gaussens 2015 Bordeaux Supérieur AC ($21.99) 9. Château Bel-Air Lagrave 1988 Moulis-en-Médoc AC ($63.99) 10. Château Clos du Roy 2018 Fronsac AC ($36.99) 11. Château Saint Brice 2018 Saint-Émilion AC ($29.99) 12. Château Minvielle 2020 Cuvée Capitaine White Bordeaux AC ($17.99) 13. Château Méaume 2018 Bordeaux Supérieure AC ($21.99)
The Wine
Nowhere in the world does place transcend grape variety more than in France. Sancerre is more than Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis more than Chardonnay, and a Red Burgundy from one of the scores of Burgundian appellations contrôlées (ACs) is more than simply Pinot Noir. They are unique to place, but place has also become their mystique. The wines of Bordeaux have long been considered among the most desired styles to emulate: complex blends that arise from grape varieties, the region, and growing conditions that can change every year.
The Black Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère represent the main varieties of Bordeaux (four heat-resistant reds were introduced in 2020 to help the region evolve with climate change). When most wine lovers think of Bordeaux, they think of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bordeaux’s Building Blocks
What does each grape bring to the Bordeaux blend?
Cabernet Sauvignon the Brawn: a great partner to Merlot and known for assertive tannins, it is a main reason classified Bordeaux needs aging.
Merlot the Elegance: prized for luscious and round mouth feel and red fleshy fruit.
Cabernet Franc the Best Friend: characterized by bright acidity and elegant tannins, it adds that “je ne sais quoi.”
Petit Verdot the Booster: with intense colour and powerful aromas, Petit Verdot adds some extra kick.
Malbec the Ringer: very fruity and deep in colour, Malbec adds intensity and smoothness.
Carménère the Humble: almost forgotten in its Bordeaux homeland, Carménère can add richness, a nice herbal edge, and a touch of bitterness.
While most Premier Cru wines of the Left Bank (west of the Gironde River) are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot plantings actually dominate the region. Merlot is the primary grape in Right Bank wines (east of the Gironde River)—Saint-Émilion and Pomerol being the best-known appellations. Merlot is also a significant blending component in Left Bank wines and the primary grape in many Bordeaux AC and Bordeaux Supérieur AC wines.
The White Grapes
Fewer than 10% of Bordeaux’s wines are white, with a tiny proportion of these being sweet. Often blends, the main varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and occasionally Muscadelle. At the everyday end of the scale, Bordeaux whites are fresh grapefruit- and citrus-driven wines with lively acidity to go with any starter course or fish. Bordeaux whites can also be premium blends, aged in oak, for structured, elegant wines that show incredible richness and concentration.
Sweet and Special
In a small part of Bordeaux another element is added to the palate of white grape varieties: a beautiful intersection of autumn mists, warm sunshine, and the special character that noble rot brings to the mix. The amazing, sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac are the result: perfumed, fullbodied, and interlaced with an ethereal lifted quality, these are the ultimate sweet treat for many wine lovers.
The Blends
Why so many grapes in one region? Each grape brings its own unique characteristic, but the origin of this blend also has an economic rationale. In this moderate, maritime climate, conditions can vary widely from year to year, and the planting of multiple varieties was actually an agricultural insurance policy. While consumers enjoy the big, sometimes brash characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon, it, along with Petit Verdot and Carménère, is a late-ripening variety. In “great” vintages when the climatic conditions are optimal, Cabernet Sauvignon realizes its full potential with big tannins and ripe fruit. However, in more difficult vintages, Merlot, which ripens up to 2 weeks earlier, really shines. Producers could change their blend to use the highest-quality fruit, allowing Bordeaux winemakers to make consistent top-quality wines, desirable year after year no matter what the vintage conditions.
BORDEAUX WINE TERMS
Noble rot refers to the amazing result of an otherwise damaging fungus (Botrytis) that attacks grapes (and other plants). In ideal conditions, humid early-morning mists allow the fungus to develop and dry, sunny afternoons restrain its progress. The result is very sweet, dried grapes that produce intense, concentrated, and long-living sweet wines.
In Bordeaux, Premier Cru refers to a first growth in the Médoc 1855 trade classification, the top of the five-rung classification. The term can also refer to the classification of estates for sweet wines in Sauternes/Barsac.
Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur Appellations d’Origine Controlées (AC) refer to the wine region of Bordeaux. The (mostly red) wines of Bordeaux AC are the basic quality wines of the region. Bordeaux Supérieur AC is a slightly higher designation, with stiffer requirements for yields and wine aging, where the wines are generally more intense and concentrated.
Diego Bonato and his father Gaudenzio Bonato of Azienda Agricola Reassi practice the art of blending wine
Photo courtesy of Azienda Agricola Reassi
Inspiring the World
Bordeaux’s influence on blends has transcended the borders of its French homeland. Turn a New World blend to the back label. Alongside obligatory information, you might find a tasting note, a history of the winery, perhaps even a list and proportion of grape varieties in the wine. However, wines of a particular style are often missing one phrase that truly defines what they are trying to achieve: a Bordeaux blend.
Winemakers around the world take Bordeaux blends as their inspiration. When they do not attribute their style to Bordeaux, however, it is not because they are cheating or hiding that inspiration. Rather, as the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The desire to repeat the magic from the banks of the Gironde is strong: in fact, three Bordeaux varieties—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc—are among the top 10 most planted around the globe. In home territory, regulations governed by the French AC system dictate the varieties permitted in Bordeaux’s wines. A producer may use one of these, some, or all, but cannot go off-list for AC wines. In many other world wine regions, winemakers are free to use Bordeaux grapes as single varieties or mix and match as the winemaker chooses, free of the strict rules of Bordeaux’s ACs.
Many of the world’s premier wine regions use Bordeaux as an inspiration to blend their own particular brand of magic. Whatever the name, the Bordeaux varieties come with the fame and recognizable qualities and deliciousness that they offer up in their home region. Salute the inspiration—it is a rewarding one.
One wine style that truly acknowledges the Bordeaux link is Meritage (rhymes with heritage). To use the designation, a Meritage contains only red or white Bordeaux grape varieties. Expect Meritage wines, like their Bordeaux cousins, to be structured, distinguished, and capable of developing beautifully with time in the cellar.
Tawse 2016 Meritage Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc/Merlot, Niagara Peninsula ($62.99) Synchromesh 2018 Tetre Rouge Naramata ($43.99)
In California, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. In Napa Valley, consistent near-perfect growing conditions, talented winemakers, and quality-focused producers defined a new decadent style of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Some command the same price as Premier Cru Bordeaux.
Moone-Tsai 2016 Hillside Blend Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($249.99) Oakville Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($84.99)
Chile has been working with Bordeaux varieties since the mid-1800s, and today Cabernet Sauvignon is their most widely planted red variety. One variety that is now rare in its Bordeaux home has become Chile’s signature variety: Carménère. The best Bordeaux blends from Chile show style, concentration, and intensity, often with the distinct edge that Carménère brings to the mix.
Santa Ema 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley ($15.99) Ventisquero 2017 Vertice Carménère/ Syrah, Colchagua Valley ($39.99)
Argentina’s producers have taken a historic Bordeaux variety and made it famous. Argentinean Malbec, often grown at high altitudes in the shadow of the Andes, has become an international sensation. Wines like Finca Martha, Catena, and Punto Final show this grape’s wide range and full potential.
Finca Martha 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza ($16.99) Pulenta Estate 2015 X Gran Malbec, Mendoza ($62.99)
In Australia, the first Aussie Clarets were made from Cabernet Sauvignon and the readily available Shiraz (such as Majella Malleea). Aussies have also successfully used Bordeaux varieties such as Petit Verdot (Pirramimma) that require a hot, long growing season. Looking beyond straight-up Australian Shiraz reveals other amazing wines.
Majella 2014 The Malleea Cabernet Sauvignon/ Shiraz, Coonawarra ($89.99) Pirramimma 2018 Petit Verdot, McLaren Vale ($32.99)
In Italy, Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast has been inspired by Bordeaux for more than a generation. What began with a few inspired winemakers’ side-projects has grown into a regional style of distinguished red blends based on Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot (alongside varieties such as Sangiovese). Producers are also working magic with Bordeaux blends in Colli Euganei, Veneto.
Fabio Motta 2019 Pievi Merlot/Sangiovese/ Cabernet Sauvignon, Bolgheri ($32.99) Reassi 2018 Tre Frazione Cabernet Sauvignon/ Cabernet Franc/Merlot, Colli Euganei ($32.99)
