45 GREAT BUYS FOR BORDEAUX LOVERS

This was a very interesting tasting, as well as a highly successful one in terms of the high scores. With Decanter casting its net around the globe (but excluding Bordeaux) for red Bordeaux-style blends, hopes were high that producers would submit a wide range of high-quality blends. The wines didn’t disappoint. With an overall return of six Gold/ Outstanding awards (95 points) and 54 Silver/ Highly Recommended (90-94pts) – respectively 7.5% and 68% of the total of 79 wines tasted – this was an impressive set of results.

What was particularly encouraging was the high scoring in each key region around the globe. Wines were subdivided into those from Australia and New Zealand, South America, Europe, South Africa and the US. Every region picked up one Gold, with many having a large number of high-scoring Silver medals too. There were also 18 Silvers which scored either 93 or 94 points – highly impressive wines which were very close to gaining a Gold.

Strong showing

So, what is meant by a Bordeaux blend? For most traditional claret lovers, this would suggest red wines produced in the southwest of France, made from a combination of grape varieties including (and often dominated by) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Some small additions of Petit Verdot might add some ‘seasoning’ to the mix.

However, Bordeaux blends can be found across the continents. Depending on regional styles, varying percentages of Carmenère or Malbec may also be found, with the occasional use of varieties such as Mourvèdre and Syrah (although not a permitted Bordeaux AP grape, the latter has been used by Château Palmer to create its Historical XIXth Century Wine, a cross-regional Vin de France blend).

As the brief for this tasting was for Bordeaux blends, rather than ‘blends from Bordeaux’, it was hoped that the wines would celebrate their own regional ‘take’ on the classic Bordeaux mix, rather than just trying to imitate classic Left- and Right-Bank bottles. In this respect, the wines shone, with each area demonstrating individual characters which largely lived up to type, and showed why regions such as Napa Valley in California, Apalta (Chile), Hawke’s Bay (New Zealand), Stellenbosch (South Africa) and Margaret River (Western Australia) have gained the reputations they have.

When I was studying for the blind tastings in the Master of Wine exam, I always hoped for wines that were ‘true’ to their area. A Napa Valley Cabernet could usually be identified by its weighty palate loaded with ripe dark fruit and glossy richness;