Why Are Bordeaux Wines Mostly Blends of Different Varietals?

Winemakers in Bordeaux have been cultivating the the art and science of winemaking for centuries. With a history of knowledge and secrets in their barrels, the winemakers in the Bordeaux region of France created the process of wine blending, using a limited number of Bordeaux wine varietals to create some of the world's most balanced and popular wines. The concept of blending has made its way to the U.S., where the term "meritage" has been adopted.

Blending Process Maintains the Uniqueness of Each Variety

There are a number of reason that Bordeaux wines are mostly blends of different grape varieties. First, it's important to note that although the fine French you wine uncork and pour contains more than one Bordeaux grape variety, the entire vinification process leading up to your first sip is tightly controlled.

The grape variety themselves are not grown together, nor are they fermented together. Each of the approved varieties of Bordeaux grapes is grown separately, and will not meet on the vine. It's only at the hands of a skilled winemaker that these varietals come together, in the form of complete wines on their own. After blending they are left to age, and then the Bordeaux wines are bottled.

Each of the Bordeaux grape varieties is known for its unique qualities including aroma, flavor and coloring. The winemakers maintain the integrity of each individual grape variety until the final blending process. Sometimes harvested grapes are also separated by plot, as that can attribute to a grape variety's distinct characteristics in any giving growing season. In this way they maintain control over the final product.

Why Are Bordeaux Wines Mostly Blends of Different Varietals?

Balance

One main reason Bordeaux wines are mostly blends of different varietals is to create balance. With a blend of wines the winemakers are more easily able to balance the flavor and aromas of the year's harvest. Because the weather is unpredictable and climate changes and fluctuations affect the grape crops, blending enables the winemakers to compensate for any disappointments.

Consistency

Another reason Bordeaux wines are mostly blends of different varietals is to provide consistency. Because there is so much wine being produced by the Bordeaux area, blending enables the vineyards to provide consumers with consistent flavor.

Bringing out the Best

By blending Bordeaux varietals, cellar masters are able to draw out the best qualities of that year's harvest, which can better last year's vintage. Blending also enhances the qualities of each particular region, or terroir, without being confined to a grape variety label. Identifying wines by grape type is a more American approach to wine categorizations, whereas in the French system, wine labeling and classification is tied to a geographic region.

Strength in Numbers

Blending also occurs because the resulting wine blends and varietals are better, smoother, tastier, more aromatic and exude more depth than any one Bordeaux grape variety could on its own.

Sources:

Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB), http://www.bordeaux.com
Wine Varietals, It's All About the Grapes, http://www.wine-tastings-guide.com/wine-varietals.html
57 Bordeaux Appellations and their Grape Varieties, http://www.nicks.com.au/index.aspx?link_id=76.1482
Bordeaux, http://www.austincc.edu/bhay/BORDEAUX.doc, Austin Community College
The Wine Atlas, http://www.wineatlas.org/bordeaux-wine/index.html
Planete Bordeaux, http://www.planete-bordeaux.net/en
http://www.bordeaux.com/Tout-Vins/Cepages-Assemblage.aspx?culture=en-US&country=US