Blending

[griff]

While I'm in a loquacious mood, sipping my 1999 Croft LBV Port I was wondering, how many posters (boy or girl) here find themselves blending the finished product.

Earlier tonight I found a 1999 Louis Jadot Rully (rouge) a little light on and I decided to add some 2000 St Emillion to add depth.

Is combining the finshed wines an insult to the winemakers? What have you blended? Did it work or fail (like most of mine)?

[Lolly]

At a tasting group dinner we'd just finished 3 terrific reds (1985 Gros (F&S) Grands Echezeaux, 1982 Chateau Canon and a 1982 Penfold's Bin 820) and one of the assembled asked "How could you top that lot?". Shortly thereafter, when said enquirer went to the men's, we assembled equal quantities of the dregs of the abovementioned wines into a glass and upon his return, informed him the glass sitting in front of him was the last red of the night. "WOTN" was his immediate, enthusiastic reaction, going on to say it was like drinking the best qualities of all the reds opened beforehand. We all laughed sheepishly and a little later had to inform our friend of our folly when he asked for options from the person who produced this "perfect" wine to this most magnificent dinner.

So to answer your question - it all depends on what you're blending, I suppose.

[peterk]

Not as silly as it seems, I did a building job for a retired hardys rep and he pulled out literally dozens of V.Ps from the forties and fiftys most had very low shoulder levels, after a few samples we blended the bottles and surprise, a bloody good drop.

Cheers
Peter

[Kieran]

I've seen this experiment tried with the last drops at offlines. Occasionally drinkable.

Kieran

[griff]

Thought I would drag up an old topic after thinking of making a new house blend of mystery fortified. My favorite fortified house blend so far would of been a blend of the following:

a little dash of Vadepino PX (grapey sweetness),
the dregs of a Campbell's Alan fortified red (very old and murky but gives the blend some complexity I hope)
half:half mixture of Dutschke muscat (freshness and sweetness) and an old Houghtons tawny port (light but distinct rancio)

Yum!

Seems the trick is that it needs time to amalgamate. At the time of blending a little disjointed but the next night it was singing.

Now there is two sips at most of some Seppelt rare tokay left that someone brought round. I wonder what will blend well. Perhaps some younger stuff...


cheers

Carl

[Roscoe]

Interesting topic, Carl.
I don't do a lot of blending, but when I do, the results are more often than not greater than the sum of the parts.
I probably should do it more, but I probably don't because it does kill the romance of wine a tad for me.

[griff]

Interesting topic, Carl.
I don't do a lot of blending, but when I do, the results are more often than not greater than the sum of the parts.
I probably should do it more, but I probably don't because it does kill the romance of wine a tad for me.

Interesting

For me it s the opposite in that for some mysterious reason synergism occurs but as to when it occurs certainly isn't predictable by me.

cheers

Carl

[Mahmoud Ali]

Hmmm, interesting idea. Wineries do it all the time, even with the wines made only with grapes from their estate. However I can't see myself doing it. In fact, over the years I can't say that I recall anyone ever suggesting blending wines at the table.

Cheers..............Mahmoud.

[Roscoe]

Interesting

For me it s the opposite in that for some mysterious reason synergism occurs but as to when it occurs certainly isn't predictable by me.

cheers

Carl

Nor is it predictable by me.
Presumably people who blend professionally can predict these things.

[DaveB]

We made a Chambertini at Herzog Restaurant in Marlborough a while ago..... Armand Rousseau Chambertin 1999, Billecart-Salmon Nicholas Francois 1996 and some elderflower from memory....was very nice

[Daryl Douglas]

I don't often have more than one bottle open at a time. If I'm enjoying the wines as they came, on the rare occasions I do have a couple of bottles open, I can't see much point in putting my enjoyment of the individual wines at risk by blending them.

Cheers

daz

[griff]

I don't often have more than one bottle open at a time. If I'm enjoying the wines as they came, on the rare occasions I do have a couple of bottles open, I can't see much point in putting my enjoyment of the individual wines at risk by blending them.

Cheers

daz

You never want to change something about a wine? Too much acid? Not enough? etc. Smart buying there

cheers

Carl

[Daryl Douglas]

I don't often have more than one bottle open at a time. If I'm enjoying the wines as they came, on the rare occasions I do have a couple of bottles open, I can't see much point in putting my enjoyment of the individual wines at risk by blending them.

Cheers

daz

You never want to change something about a wine? Too much acid? Not enough? etc. Smart buying there

cheers

Carl

Done much blending yourself Carl? Would be interested to know which labelled wines, vintages etc, you've found have a synergy that improves each of the inputs.

Of course there are few, if any, perfect wines for each individual's palate. I suppose I could try blending some Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz 2000 with some Tahbilk 1860s Vines Shiraz 1997 just out of curiosity but I'm not that curious, depending on your definition of "curious".

Cheers

daz

[griff]

I don't often have more than one bottle open at a time. If I'm enjoying the wines as they came, on the rare occasions I do have a couple of bottles open, I can't see much point in putting my enjoyment of the individual wines at risk by blending them.

Cheers

daz

You never want to change something about a wine? Too much acid? Not enough? etc. Smart buying there

cheers

Carl

Done much blending yourself Carl? Would be interested to know which labelled wines, vintages etc, you've found have a synergy that improves each of the inputs.

Of course there are few, if any, perfect wines for each individual's palate. I suppose I could try blending some Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz 2000 with some Tahbilk 1860s Vines Shiraz 1997 just out of curiosity but I'm not that curious, depending on your definition of "curious".

Cheers

daz

Lot's of blending actually. Especially if we have a dinner or suchlike and there are dregs of bottles everywhere. Tonight for instance I blended a Balgownie estate goldfields Cabernet Merlot 2006 which I find dense and quite tannic with a peter lehmann 2006 shiraz. I thought it wasn't too bad actually. A nice aussie blend

I generally find that fortifieds are easiest. Then trying traditional blends like the cab shiraz mentioned above or sometimes I will drop a dash of a white wine into a red to see what happens.

I know it isn't what the winemaker intended for the wine, but for me wine is meant to be enjoyed and seeing if new blends work is quite enjoyable!

One blend I really liked a couple of years back was a french bordeaux that I can't remember the name or year with a barossa shiraz that was older, I think a grant burge filsell from 2001 or 2002. Was about 75% bordeaux to 25% shiraz and it was delicious. Was tannic as but just blossomed with the shiraz in the mid-palate. Another I enjoyed was mixing a Tyrrell's Heathcote from the 97 I think with another shiraz. I think it was a Scotchman's Hill 1997 Swan Bay from Geelong. That was really nice as well.

Recently I liked a blend of the 2008 Blue Poles shiraz and cabernet franc. Was a superb blend. Not as juicy in the mid-palate as with the merlot and it was quite structured. Mark thought spanish in style and I could see that. That was fun

cheers

Carl

[Daryl Douglas]

Blue Poles shiraz?

[griff]

Blue Poles shiraz?

I think they will release a 2008. I tasted a barrel sample which was my favorite of the 08 Blue Poles reds although I do like Margaret River shiraz. However the impromptu shiraz/cabernet franc blend (from memory 70:30) was better

cheers

Carl

[Daryl Douglas]

Blending from barrels is what winemaking is all about. This thread is about blending finished wines so what you and Mark played around with in the barrel room really doesn't address the point of it.

[griff]

Blending from barrels is what winemaking is all about. This thread is about blending finished wines so what you and Mark played around with in the barrel room really doesn't address the point of it.

Sorry for straying from topic. Finished wines only

The Seppelts Rare Tokay blended nicely with a cleanskin 10 year old tokay. Freshness and depth.

Another blend last night in the glass was a Fire Gully 2004 cabernet with leftover 2000 Jeanneret Denis Shiraz. Didn't really work as the Fire Gully had enough mid-palate already. Still was fun to try

cheers

Carl

[Daryl Douglas]

Blending from barrels is what winemaking is all about. This thread is about blending finished wines so what you and Mark played around with in the barrel room really doesn't address the point of it.

Sorry for straying from topic. Finished wines only

The Seppelts Rare Tokay blended nicely with a cleanskin 10 year old tokay. Freshness and depth.

Another blend last night in the glass was a Fire Gully 2004 cabernet with leftover 2000 Jeanneret Denis Shiraz. Didn't really work as the Fire Gully had enough mid-palate already. Still was fun to try

Glad you're having fun Carl. Tokay with tokay isn't very adventurous though

Cheers

daz


cheers

Carl