Cabot had included small amounts of Syrah in some of their Confluence blends that are otherwise all BDX varieties. I think the results were great, myself.
From my limited experience, I wonder if it works best when the Syrah is a smaller piece to add some heft or accent, rather than a larger percentage.
Palmer is doing it, I think Caroline Frey is too (la lagune) and Haut bailly… maybe a couple others… can’t list vintage so look at the lot numbers.
They’re cool, but never quite taste awesome. There’s always a feeling I get that there are two separate wines in the same bottle.
Interesting insight - and a great point. The whole idea of putting a blend together is that the finished product should be ‘greater’ than the sum of the pieces - and different and harmonious. When I worked at another winery, we did a cab/syrah blend that just wasn’t that ‘exciting’ - it just didn’t do it for me.
It’s easy to put any blend together - but the finished product better be ‘distinct’ and at least equal to its parts IMHO.
Cheers.
The winery that comes to mind is L 'Aventure which makes several Cab Syrah blends. I personally like these wines.
I have enjoyed the Cabernet-Syrah Viking Estate red wine from Adelaida Cellars and prior vintages of Penfolds Bin 389.
In general, I feel like both grapes tend to over-assert themselves in blends with other, more traditional grape selections, but that’s just my experience.
Yes! That’s a great way of putting it - exactly how I feel.
I bet you’re right, Larry, I could see this making much more sense in a lower-priced blend meant for the masses. I wouldn’t necessarily worry about the completeness of a $10 wine, nor if it was a mish-mash of varieties.
If the wines haven’t integrated well then either the blending was not done correctly or they are not suitable for blending. Often they do take a bit of time to harmonise.
If you taste the 1996 Penfolds Bin 389 now I can assure you that you will not be tasting seperate wines. Benchmark Australian blend.
We have several Rhone producers that blend in some merlot with their IGP, entry level offerings with very good results including Laurent Charvin
Priorat as mentioned above is another good example of a successful blending of these grapes
I was thinking the same thing, and not just the 1986. Bin 389 almost always tastes like a complete wine to me, nd possibly the best example of Penfolds house style. Vintage back to the 1960s still drink well when well stored.
Just a thought, but what if you had a bad year in Bordeaux and grapes didn’t ripen sufficiently, so the resulting wine is short on fruit flavor. Meanwhile Rhone grapes ripened early due to hotter weather but were picked when both fruit flavors/brix were at their peak. Throw away the green cab or blend in some ripe Sarah or Garnacha to complete the wine. The resulting wine turns out to be both unique and good. Successful experiment. Nowadays, there are cures for unripe grapes and new winemakers open to experimentation.
Buonchristiani OPC current release is 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 17% Malbec, 15% Merlot. It is a powerful wine with interesting nuances and goes very well with heavier food. With steak, the cab stands out. With Mexican and Italian food the Syrah stands out. The Malbec throws in some spicy notes and the Merlot keeps the other three in check. With Mexican food one night, I had to check the contents on the bottle because I was sure I tasted spicy Zinfandel. Nope, manipulated by the food and the blend.
One odd “blend” I’ve had and enjoyed (note: it’s an inexpensive wine at $15) is Thurston Wolfe Winery Dr. Wolfe Family Red. It’s usually a Columbia Valley blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Lemberger. It’s not a Bordeaux/Rhone mix, but still a little odd (mostly with the Lemberger).
Way far better than any Cab/Syrah blends I’ve had is Marisa/Bevela’s Teroldego/Syrah blend. Obviously can’t be done in Trentino.
But it’s a terrific wine.
Tom
From the next BloodyPulpit:
A nice summary, Greg, thanks.
The one wine I’ve had that most definitely worked is Wendouree. Grange des Peres is a nice example for a “bigger” wine, though I think it’s a small percentage of Cabernet.
I believe, if we’re allowed to continue a little off-topic comparisons, that Zin and Pinot are blended by a couple of California wineries - usually with fruit from incredibly different sources (“California Dreams” red blend of RRV Pinot & from Greg La Follette’s Alquimista collaborating with Frank Nerelli’s Zin Alley Paso Robles Zinfandel) .
I even may recall a winery that blends Bennett Valley Syrah with Santa Cruz Pinot Noir (Waxwing)!!
As for Lagrein, I believe that the “Incredible Red” or “Chateau Le Cacheflo” from Tobin James includes the grape in a crazy mix.
Drew,
Up in Paso, they take great pride in blending zin with all kinds of stuff. Many have even used the term ’ Paso blend’ to refer to these . . .