Blending Bordeaux varieties with Rhone varieties...

A comment Peter H. made in another thread (the poll and discussion about WA Bordeaux-style blends as compared to California) got me thinking, and I thought I’d toss this out to see how you all felt about the same thing. Given France’s long, long history wine history, I believe that Bordeaux varieties (the Big Five, at least) are best meant to be blended with each other. I also fee the same about Rhone varieties. I don’t like it when they “meet.” New world winemakers sometimes blend wines with varieties from Bordeaux origins with those from Rhone origins. For example, a common rendition is Syrah blended in with Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m not sure why, but I find myself avoiding these wines. They might even be great wines, but I don’t usually buy them. I don’t necessarily consider myself a traditionalist, but perhaps I am! How do you all view wines where the two “worlds” meet?

I can’t remember who, maybe it was Pape Clement or Haut Bailly, but one of the better Pessac’s is making up some blend with a dollop of Hermitage added. I think that wine is very hard to get but at least someone is trying it.

Chateau Palmer Historical Blend. Named such to reflect the historical approach to blending Rhone Syrah in Bordeaux.

I think the best examples mostly come from Australia where they Cabernet Shiraz blend had a long history and is consider d a fairly classic regional style. Some of the best (according to Langton’s who I tend to find myself in agreement with):
Majella Maella
Penfolds 389
Wendouree shiraz Malbec
Henschke euphonium
lindemans Limestone Ridge
Yalumba Signature

Yes, it’s Palmer.

And the practice was deeply established enough in the past that there was even an adjective for claret that was fortified in this way: Hermitagé.

Of course, until phylloxera and odium came along in the late 1800s, the mix of grapes in Bordeaux was quite different. Carmenere, malbec and petit verdot were much more widely planted, alongside cabernet, cab franc and merlot. So the Bordeaux blend as we know it today is relatively recent.

Cayuse’s The Lovers is such a mix. I tend to agree with Brandon, though as John rightly points out there is a long history of such blending. I guess I feel that Bdx and Rhone are very different wines for me, and I like them both. So I am not sure I like the idea of blending them. I like lamb shanks. And i like Lobster. Not sure I want them both together (I have never been a surf and turf person). On the other hand, I like chocolate and bacon, and it turns out that can be an amazing combination. So I think my aversion is less rational – more in my head than in my palate.

We should say that the syrah-cabernet concept is well enough established in Australia that you could even say it has a tradition.

Historically, it’s definitely happened, but most Cab/Syrah blends that I’ve had take on a split personality. I’ll smell Syrah, pick up Cab structure, then Syrah pepper, then Cab fruit, back and forth etc. Never harmonious (for me).

That’s how I feel - I don’t necessarily think it’s entirely rational that I stray away from them. I will say that getting meaty Syrah notes in a Cabernet-dominant wine doesn’t generally float my boat.

Great point about the Cab/Shiraz thing in Oz - that hand’t occurred to me. I’ve also not had that many. I do remember enjoying a Lewis Alec’s Blend years ago, but the Syrah wasn’t overtly noticeable.

Most French AOC don’t permit this combo but at the lower end of the range there is Mas de Bressades Cabernet -Syrah Vin du Pays du Gard. Notwithstanding its origin, definitely not a ‘vin de garde’ (sorry!) but a tasty value for BBQ season. Haven’t had this in a while, but iirc it doesn’t exactly make the case for this blend but certainly does not make a case against either.

The Bordeaux varieties are all related, as siblings, parents, or offspring of each other, all members of the so-called Carmenet family, which is also an old Médoc term for Cab Franc. The current lineup of “Bordeaux” varieties dates only from the 1900s. Before that, Syrah was commonly called Hermitage and it was standard practice to blend it into Bordeaux wines through the 1930s. They stopped calling it Hermitage in the 1970s because by that time it had also become the name of a place of origin.

The “Rhone” varieties Garnacha, Monastrell and Cariñena are from Spain, the latter also both a grape and a place of origin, and when Bordeaux varieties were introduced to Spain after phylloxera, they were and are commonly blended with Spanish varieties. Especially in places like Priorat, the blends are very common today. So blending Garnacha with Syrah is in some ways like blending Merlot with Syrah, as both are from different regions originally, except that Garnacha had to travel from Spain over the Pyrenees to the Languedoc-Roussillon region, and then to the Rhone, whereas Syrah was much closer to Bordeaux.

I don’t think there’s anything incompatible about the grapes, but people tend to approach the Bordeaux grapes differently from Syrah. Syrah is at its best when it’s grown in cooler regions IMO, but the others are grown all over and they’re typically put into barrique these days. I don’t know that Garnacha or Syrah need or benefit from that, although Monastrell can and Cariñena probably does and that can be a good blend with Cab/Merlot IMO, except that in the south of France, it’s looked down on as a jug-wine grape. That said, I’ve had some spectacular versions from there, so maybe things are changing.

I rarely enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah blends. Cabernet-Grenache I could imagine liking, although I’m not sure I’ve ever had one. Cabernet-Mourvedre sounds inherently disgusting; don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

Clio is an example of a cab/monastrell blend, albeit it quite singular in nature

LOL! Good call. Singular, indeed. That one has a place in the ongoing oak thread.

You mean the winemaker terroir thread?!?!?

lol … yeah, that one. There’s interesting conversation there, but that term had to die its inevitable death.

If I’m recalling correctly, Cayuse release a special bottling called La Rata that is a Grenache-Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

I know that the Aussies have done this for awhile as well, but, heck, they are natural heretics, aren’t they?!?!?

I see no reason why this won’t be done more in the future, especially with lower priced wines. It’s much easier to sell a ‘cab-based blend’ than a ‘grenache-based blend’ to the masses - most folks know bordeaux varieties and most do not know rhone ones. Nope, not talking about those on this board - the larger wine community. My guess is that you’ll see a lot more of these coming out of the Paso area soon . . .

Cheers.

I’m not normally a fan of these blends, but sometimes it works. One place that has had success with a cab-syrah blend over many decades now is Domaine Trevallon in Provence. According to the winery’s website, cabernet was grown in the area before phylloxera. I’d never heard that before.

I’m much the same way. Never cared for Syrah-Cabernet blends or the like.