🍷 Bordeaux blend
Also known as: Bordeaux-style blend, red Bordeaux blend, claret blend
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other Bordeaux varieties.
A Bordeaux blend is a mixture of several grape varieties characteristic of the Bordeaux region of France. In the red Bordeaux blend the main grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Petit Verdot and Malbec are often added, but in small shares.
The idea of blending is that each variety has its own strengths. Cabernet Sauvignon gives structure and tannins, Merlot softness and juiciness, and Cabernet Franc aroma and freshness. The weather in Bordeaux changes from year to year, and different varieties ripen differently. A blend helps produce wine that does not depend on a single grape.
The proportions depend on the bank of the river. On the left bank of the Gironde Cabernet Sauvignon is more often the base, on the right bank more often Merlot.
The Bordeaux blend became a model, and the style is copied around the world. In the United States such blends can carry the name Meritage, which signals a similar idea but not an origin in Bordeaux. A blend is a kind of cuvée, and it is tied to French wine through Bordeaux.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Bordeaux blend → → → 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Blend
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ French wine
- Related to
- 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon, 🍇 Merlot, 🍇 Cabernet Franc
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Blend, 🍷 Meritage, 🍷 Red wine
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that a Bordeaux blend always has the same recipe?
No. The proportions depend on the river bank: Cabernet Sauvignon is more often the base on the left, Merlot on the right.
What does each of the three main grapes bring?
Cabernet Sauvignon structure and tannins, Merlot softness and juiciness, Cabernet Franc aroma and freshness.
What do US producers call such blends?
Meritage, which signals a similar idea but not an origin in Bordeaux.
What to read next
- 🍷 Red wine — Wine from dark grapes that ferments with the skins and takes its colour from them.
- 🍷 Meritage — An American name for wine blended from Bordeaux grape varieties.
Similar
🍷 GSM blend · 🍷 Clairet · 🍷 Black wine · 🍷 Claret · 🍷 Saignée rosé · 🍷 Banyuls
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.