Who’s blending Syrah with Cabernet, and why?

Is this merely a “want” or is it a “need”? Personally, I find it detracts qualities from each of them.

I know Mi Sueno makes one called El Lano, it’s 65% CS , 35% Syrah. I’m not sure who else.

Grange is the most obvious example that comes to mind, and there are other Penfold’s wines that blend the two as well. It’s perhaps more common in OZ than in the US?

It was formerly commonplace in Bordeaux.

I’ve never had any old BDX that (likely) had Syrah in the blend, and I haven’t had Grange.

That said I’ve not been a fan of the blend based on a number of cheaper examples I’ve had. Not that I would have likely liked the underlying components in those wines either, mind you.

The L’Aventure Optimus is one I believe. Haven’t been wild about the results the blends I have tried. Not sure what people are hoping to achieve with them.

L’Aventure does it. I tasted it at the winery, and I tend to agree-- it’s like two alpha males duking it out for supremacy.

i actually like the optimus, but i suspect it is made from declassified juice that did not make it into their estate cuvee, which is much better.

Grange can range from 0% to about 15% Cab, the rest syrah. And it normally is at the low end of 1-3%.
I need to check my records but that’s my recollection from all the bottles I remember drinking.

b Cellars makes a blend that’s about 60% Cab, 40% Syrah and Two Hands makes “The Bull & the Bear” that somwhere in the same proportion. Both are nice wines, but not distinctive.

Coup de Foudre is a Cali Cab with 5 or so % of Syrah. It is not too bad. The price is the problem with that wine.

Dave Corey blends or used to blend with Cabernet. His Hard Core bottling was Syrah and Cab IIRC. I think he his moving to use Tempranillo in later versions though.

You know, Cab and Sangiovese, Cab and Tempranillo - yes. I think these blends work, IMHO, much better than Syrah and Cab. Of course, everybody’s palate is different.

Just heard that Caldwell’s “Rocket Science” has a Cab-Syrah blend. So, I looked it up on their website:
33% - Cab
33% - Syrah
25% - Merlot
9% - Cab Franc
9% - Petite Verdot
9% - Tannay

Assuming 2 of the 9% additions are variables (unless this is indeed 118% juice), I wonder if this almost equal parts blend removes most of the varietal recognition? And, what the heck is Tannay?

My bad on the Grange, I thought there was more Cab in the blend, more like 20-40% but as I said I’ve never had it. Penfolds certainly makes other blends that are higher % Cab, for better or worse.

As far as blending cab into other things, there are a very few Super Tuscans that I like but by and large I’d rather have my Saniovese w/o the Cab. Ditto Tempranillo. Blend the Cab w/ Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cab Franc, Carmenere…

Tannat’s gay cousin? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I know Booker has 2 wines that do this.

The Alchemist - 85% Syrah, 15% Cab
Remnant - 50% Syrah, the rest a blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.

and what woman doesn’t love that?

that Remnant is my favorite of their bottlings … most of the others are too out-of-balance (too much alc) for my tastes.

Pipestone (in Paso) makes a 50/50 C.S./Syrah blend … I thought it was one of the best wines in his lineup (which underwhelmed, on the whole).

Ditto. Megadittoes.

Every wine I’ve ever had that had syrah blended with any of the Bordeaux varieties was disjointed and out of synch - to me.