“I like Cabernet.”
“I like Merlot.”
“I like Zinfandel.”
These are typical responses to “What’s your
favorite type of wine?” Simple enough question with a simple enough seeming
answer. You love Pinot Noir, for instance. You go to the wine store and head
for the sign that says “Pinot Noir.” You snag a bottle. You pay and head home.
Pop. Pour. Drink. Easy peasy.
But how do you know that the pinot noir in your
hypothetical glass is actually, you know, pinot noir? “It says so right there
on the bottle,” you might say. In reality, that Pinot juice in your glass may have
some friends along. Very few wines, especially American wines, are made
strictly from a single varietal. Instead, they’re generally blends, with
certain varietals being a greater percentage.
In the U.S., the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau of the Department of Treasury (that mouthful “acronyms down” to
“TTB”) monitors the blending of wines. For a U.S. wine to be labeled as a
single varietal, at least 75% of the blend must be made up of that varietal.
That said, up to a quarter of that glass of Shiraz you ordered might be made up
of different grapes – white or red. If a wine has less than 75% of a single
varietal, it’s simply going to be labeled as “red wine,” often with the
percentages of the various grapes listed.
Now, there’s nothing new about blending wine. If
you’ve ever sampled Bordeaux (and if you haven’t, what in tarnation’s wrong
with you?) – then you’ve gone to town on a blended wine. A bottle of red
Bordeaux will be a blend of various percentages of primarily Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, with some Petit Verdot and Malbec thrown
in for good measure. Chateauneuf-de-Pape, that magical wine from France’s Rhone
region, may have up to 18 different
grapes in the blend.
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Why blend wine? There are some practical reasons –
like trying to stretch production in a lean year or complying with regional
winemaking guidelines. The terroir also plays a role. Not every harvest is the
same. Varying amounts of sun and rain, seasonal differences in temperature, and
other factors all affect the final flavor from a grape. Winemakers usually like
to deliver a consistent product. A wine’s particular profile is, after all,
what draws in a consumer initially. A skilled winemaker will often make tweaks
to a wine’s final blend to try to create consistency from year to year.
Primarily, though, winemakers blend wines for
flavor. Each grape has its own flavor profile. Some grapes yield wines that are
fruity but watery on their own, while others are so inky and tannic that they
are nigh undrinkable. Blending grapes in various ratios allow a skilled
winemaker to produce something, as the cliché goes, more than the sum of its
parts. A winemaker is typically trying to make the best of what’s around, which
is, in my mind, the true art of wine production.
Blending should not be seen as a mark of
inferiority. The most expensive wines produced domestically and abroad around
the world are blends, such as Sine Qua Non’s “Queen of Spades” – a
Syrah-dominant blend from Santa Barbara that will set you back about $5,000 a
bottle. While I’m not willing to shell out that kind of scratch for a blend, I did
recently have the opportunity to check out three blends at slightly lower price
points.
The first was from New Zealand. The Trinity Hill 2014 “The Trinity” Red Wine
has a slightly misleading name. This merlot-dominant (55%) blend is actually a
mix of five grapes. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Malbec make up
the remainder. Merlot on its own can be a little one-note, so the other
additions add some complexity, tannin, and depth. I found this wine to be full
of plums and spice, with a surprisingly earthy backbone – not something I see
in many New Zealand wines. This wine’s very straightforward, so it’s an easy
drinker on its own or would pair with any number of meaty or cheesy dishes. At
around $15, it’s a pretty solid buy.
To South Africa for the Mulderbosch 2013 “Faithful Hound” Red Wine. South Africa is best
known for the Pinotage grape, but there’s none to be found in this bottle.
Instead, this is a straightforward Bordeaux blend – Cabernet Sauvignon and
Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Don’t expect the somewhat lean flavors
of a Bordeaux here. This is a fairly burly offering with lots of cherries and
leather flavors and a big smoky backbone. I found this wine
to need some
considerable air before the tannins die down. Once they do, however, you’ve got
a nice option for alongside any type of grilled meat. It’s around $25, which I
thought was a tad pricey. (Also, the wine’s label tells the story of the
“faithful hound” who kept a three-year vigil at a house on Mulderbosch farm
after being abandoned by his master. The dog died. Side of sadness with your
steak?)
Finally, back to the States for the Leviathan 2012 California Red Wine. The
winemaker, Andy Erickson, has worked with some of the best known cult wineries
in Napa, including Screaming Eagle, Harlan, and Staglin. Through his
connections, he sources small quantities of grapes from across various California
regions (though largely Napa-centric) to blend into his signature juice. I
gotta say, Erickson knows his stuff. This is a gorgeous wine. With a name like
Leviathan (which is a nasty mythological sea creature), I expected a
knock-you-on-your-ass California monster red. What I found was a bold, rich
wine – but it’s so balanced and silky that you don’t realize you’ve got 14.5%
ABV in your glass. A blend of the Cabernets, Merlot, and Syrah, the flavor is a
polished mix of candied plums, berries, smoke, and spice. The finish is velvety
and lasting, full of cacao and happiness. It’s not cheap at $48, but I’d be
hard pressed to find much out of Napa at this quality at that price. Try it
with dark chocolate, close your eyes, and enjoy the ride.
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