Whether you realize it or not all wines are blends, not just the ones labeled as such. Most varietally labeled wines use multiple grapes. Even wines actually made with just one grape are likely a blend of vineyards or vineyard blocks. And the wines usually are conditioned in several different types of barrels.
Instead of the character of just one variety, blends allow consumers to experience how different aromas and flavors from different grapes, vineyard sources and barrels come together to create a unique assemblage. Each of the wines below (focused on three California regions and listed in order of preference in each category) displays the synergy that embodies the classic sentiment of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
For many, the Bordeaux formula of blending various percentages of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot is the template. For others, the “Super Tuscans” of Italy are the benchmark, though sometimes substituting zinfandel for sangiovese. Still others take southern France as their inspiration, blending grapes like syrah, grenache, mourvedre, and petite sirah. Finally, some mix and match various grapes to achieve a desired style.
I begin with two good value priced wines from Paso Robles. J. Lohr’s 2018 “Pure Paso” ($27) sources four varieties (mostly estate grown cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah) from multiple estate vineyards – cool sites for savory elements and warm sites for lush, intense dark fruits. This well-built, full flavored wine also combines influences from French and American oak barrels from three coopers.
The 2017 Robert Hall Paso Red Blend ($20) combines five varieties (mostly zinfandel and petite sirah) sourced from multiple vineyards in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast. It is full-bodied, juicy with savory notes, chalky tannins and a spicy finish.
J. Lohr’s Cuvée Series, a study of Bordeaux blends is an excellent example of the diversity principle. Designed to emulate the blending approaches typically practiced in the Pauillac, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, the 2016’s ($60) also source grapes from multiple estate vineyards and use multiple coopers for barrel aging.
Cuvée PAU is predominantly cabernet sauvignon, with concentrated dark fruits, savory accents, a silky frame, and chiseled tannins. Cuvée ST. E. is majority cabernet franc and significant cabernet sauvignon, wirh luscious black fruits, rich palate, and earthy notes. Cuvée POM is predominantly merlot (including French and Italian clones) with deep fruit, woodsy notes, firm tannins. These wines, especially the PAU, are fine values at the price.
Some blends are labeled “Meritage” (a designation established for qualified California blends in the late 1980s and pronounced like “heritage”), as is the case with these two from Sonoma County: 2016 Rodney Strong “Symmetry” ($55) – the name clues us in on this one’s goal of balancing those five Bordeaux varieties (mostly cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Northern Sonoma) creating a harmonious wine, supple yet firm, with concentrated fruit and elegant tannins. 2018 Dry Creek Vineyard “Meritage” ($35) also uses all five varieties (dominated by almost two thirds merlot from Dry Creek Valley) and French, American and Hungarian oak to reveal bright dark fruits, savory spice, and a fairly firm yet supple palate made for early drinking.
Another wine mingling all five traditional Bordeaux grapes and combining estate grapes with purchased fruit (all Napa Valley appellation) is the 2018 Chappellet “Mountain Cuvée ($35). This one also is produced for early consumption with its lively dark berries, open fruit, and savory and cocoa notes.
Paraduxx Winery (part of the Duckhorn portfolio) was the first Napa Valley winery solely dedicated to making blends. The following wines are good examples of how a single vineyard wine can still be a blend. The impressive 2016 Cork Tree ($82), from a vineyard on the Silverado Trail near the city of Napa, with 60 percent malbec, 35 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent merlot, opens with ripe berries accented with tobacco, chocolate and coffee, followed by solid, fine-grained tannins. The 2017 Rector Creek Block 5 ($82) is 70 percent zinfandel and 30 percent cabernet sauvignon. It shows really lively, brambly zin fruit in a complex, spiced, rich and focused frame.
Wines such as these demonstrate that just as cultural diversity is a societal strength, so diversity in winemaking has distinctive benefits. The result is a more complete, multidimensional wine with balance amidst complexity – the wine version of E pluribus unum (“from many one”). This is why wine long has captivated the imagination of winemakers and the taste buds of wine drinkers.