Thoughts on blends

[MilduraBob]

Would be interested in hearing peoples views on blends, particularly reds. I have tried Hollick Cab/Mer, Petaluma Cab/Mer, Bleasdale Frank Potts 01 & 02 and have 03 and 04 in the cellar, Metala as well as others.
What is the view on blends and are there any others could recommend?
MilduraBob.

[Craig(NZ)]

Blends are part of the essense and skill of winemaking to a great degree I think.

[Davo]

Probably not too many reds out there that aren't blends. Even the "Grange", eh.

[Jay60A]

I know a few people around here reckon Cabernet-Shiraz blends are Australia's most interesting red wine style ... me too.

A good place to look --
http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.p ... lends+woms

Davo's right, most reds have a dash of something to add structure (Cabernet) or florals (Viognier) or richness (Merlot) etc.

Some of the old 40's and 50's reds from Australia used to be Pinot-Shiraz and all types of interesting blends. It would be nice see such creativity again in Australia I feel.

Jay

[griff]

Some of the old 40's and 50's reds from Australia used to be Pinot-Shiraz and all types of interesting blends. It would be nice see such creativity again in Australia I feel.

Jay

Hear, Hear. While I find it good that we are experimenting with new varieties (i.e. new to Australia that is) I also think that this is a worthwhile thing to do as well. Afterall that is how the recent GSM craze started - to the extent that its hard to get straight Grenache these days!

cheers

Carl

[Red Bigot]

There are lots of blends in my cellar, including:
Brookland valley Cab-Merlot
Blackjack Cab-merlot
Cullens
Elderton CSM / Ode to Lorraine
Glaetzer Godolphin / Anaperenna
Grossett Gaia
Haan Wilhelmus
Happs Charles Andreas
Henschke Keyneton
Kaesler WOMS Shiraz-Cabernet
Lindemans Pyrus and Limestone Ridge
Marius Symposium Shiraz-Mourvedre
Old Plains / Longhop reserve Cab-Shiraz
Penfolds Bin 389
Primo Joseph Moda
Vasse Felix Heyesbury
Voyager Cab Merlot
Wendouree Cab-Malbec
Yalumba Signature Cab-Shiraz

and a few others including some G/S/M blends.

And of course a few Champagnes of various Pinot and Chardonnay blends.

I've also tried and enjoyed quite a number of odd blends at Red Heads Studio in Mclaren Vale and elsewhere, including d'Arenberg Sticks and Stones GST, Maxwell G&T (Grenache and Tempranillo), a Merlot Sangiovese, shiraz-tempranillo, plus various others that didn't work too well.

[Jay60A]

Some of the old 40's and 50's reds from Australia used to be Pinot-Shiraz and all types of interesting blends. It would be nice see such creativity again in Australia I feel.

Jay

Hear, Hear. While I find it good that we are experimenting with new varieties (i.e. new to Australia that is) I also think that this is a worthwhile thing to do as well. Afterall that is how the recent GSM craze started - to the extent that its hard to get straight Grenache these days!

cheers

Carl

For example - 1925 Bin DH18 Hermitage (Colin Preece)
"Bright, light medium red. The bouquet is still lean and fresh, showing no decay whatever, no mushroom characters, still gently sweet. The palate is not complex but it is spotlessly clean, incredibly fresh with cherry fruit flavours and noticeable acid. Made from a bizarre blend of hermitage and a table grape called 'black prince'. " James Halliday - Preece tasting in 1993. I think Preece was a renowned blender who also used to blend cross-vintages (again ... why not?)


I actually think Pinot and Shiraz would complement each other in a maturation blend. Maybe a St. Henri / Ata Rangi blend. Interesting thought anyway ... someone doing trial bins might just make something new and special.

Jay

[Daryl Douglas]

Had to restrain myself from drinking any more Murdoch Merger 04 when I got down to 2 of 6 left. It's a good example of blends from different regions, in this case Barossa Shiraz and Coonawarra Cab. O'Leary Walker do a very nice blend of shiraz from McLarenvale and Clare Valley (can't remember the name). Had a fair few bottles of Yalumba Barossa shiraz/cab 02 a year or so ago that I'd already been thoroughly enjoying before Mattinson et al brought it to wider notice in the Great Australian Red competition. My local's supply was gone soon after that.

Blends are much more common than many realise because of the Oz' labelling laws that require a wine to have only 85% of one grape to be labelled as a varietal though I think that's already been noted above.

I've been drinking an occasional GSM over the last 6-12 months - Teusner Joshua 05 is a fave but down to the last bottle now, have a couple of the Riebke shiraz/cab left. Had a Rosemount GSM 01 over a few days recently that was good, quite sweet though. Tahbilk have recently added an SGM blend to it's already large portolio that I'll try sooner or later.

Other blends I have a bottle or several of are:

Bin 389
St Henri(?)
Cullen cab/merl
Torbreck The Steading GSM
Forest Hill cab/merl
Voyager cab/merl
Longhop Reserve,

maybe one or two others that don't come to mind.

Cheers

daz

[Jay60A]

O'Leary Walker do a very nice blend of shiraz from McLarenvale and Clare Valley (can't remember the name).

I think it's called O'Leary Walker "Shiraz"

Castagna make "Un Segreto" which from memory is a Sangiovese / Shiraz blend.

Cheers -- Jay

[Ian S]

I'm glad you mentioned the Frank Potts as I think the blending brings a complexity I couldn't imagine would be there in individual bottlings. I'm a fan of what they turn out under that label.

[Bick]

I actually think Pinot and Shiraz would complement each other in a maturation blend. Maybe a St. Henri / Ata Rangi blend. Interesting thought anyway ... someone doing trial bins might just make something new and special.

Jay

Its perhaps stating the obvious, but I suppose Pinot is rarely if ever blended as that's the appellation rule in Burgundy. If there's a better reason not to blend Pinot I'd be interested to hear it mind you.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd like a Pinot/Syrah blend though - wouldn't you lose the silky, subtle character of the pinot?

[Jay60A]

I actually think Pinot and Shiraz would complement each other in a maturation blend. Maybe a St. Henri / Ata Rangi blend. Interesting thought anyway ... someone doing trial bins might just make something new and special.

Jay

Its perhaps stating the obvious, but I suppose Pinot is rarely if ever blended as that's the appellation rule in Burgundy. If there's a better reason not to blend Pinot I'd be interested to hear it mind you.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd like a Pinot/Syrah blend though - wouldn't you lose the silky, subtle character of the pinot?

There's also an appellation rule in Bordeaux saying you cannot blend Cabernet and Syrah. Doesn't stop the rest of the world though ...

[Gary W]

Shiraz with a little bit of pinot works brilliantly. Freshens and lifts the wine.

GW

disclaimer : 2006 Mountain X (old vine) Shiraz/Pinot is a wine that I am a partner in...still works brilliantly though. Not released yet. Mountain X is a series of regional shiraz/pinot blends.

[Bick]

There's also an appellation rule in Bordeaux saying you cannot blend Cabernet and Syrah. Doesn't stop the rest of the world though ...

True - but they are both varieties that have always been blended in the old world, so its less of a step in the new world to throw them together.

[Jay60A]

There's also an appellation rule in Bordeaux saying you cannot blend Cabernet and Syrah. Doesn't stop the rest of the world though ...

True - but they are both varieties that have always been blended in the old world, so its less of a step in the new world to throw them together.

Hmmm ... I dare you to name me 5 well known old-world Cabernet Syrahs that people would have heard of.

Domaine de Trevallon (and that's post 1980s)
...?

If you can, I'm mighty impressed though.

Jay

[Davo]

I actually think Pinot and Shiraz would complement each other in a maturation blend. Maybe a St. Henri / Ata Rangi blend. Interesting thought anyway ... someone doing trial bins might just make something new and special.

Jay

Its perhaps stating the obvious, but I suppose Pinot is rarely if ever blended as that's the appellation rule in Burgundy. If there's a better reason not to blend Pinot I'd be interested to hear it mind you.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd like a Pinot/Syrah blend though - wouldn't you lose the silky, subtle character of the pinot?

Pinot/shiraz blends are/were a common phenomenom out of the Hunter and the wines age exceedingly well.

[Bick]

There's also an appellation rule in Bordeaux saying you cannot blend Cabernet and Syrah. Doesn't stop the rest of the world though ...

True - but they are both varieties that have always been blended in the old world, so its less of a step in the new world to throw them together.

Hmmm ... I dare you to name me 5 well known old-world Cabernet Syrahs that people would have heard of.

Jay

I didn't mean blended together, Jay, I just meant they were varieties that are commonly blended, period. I couldn't name any old world cab/syrah blends, my point is that if they've been used in other blends in the old world its less of a departure for them to be thrown together in the new world. The same can't be said for pinot.

[Daryl Douglas]

O'Leary Walker do a very nice blend of shiraz from McLarenvale and Clare Valley (can't remember the name).

I think it's called O'Leary Walker "Shiraz"

Castagna make "Un Segreto" which from memory is a Sangiovese / Shiraz blend.

Cheers -- Jay

Yeah, with the plethora of wines with their own name I was a bit confussed whether it had another name as does their Blue Cutting Road.

Cheers

daz

[GrahamB]

Some of my current favourites

Bleasdale Frank Potts
D’Arenberg Sticks & Stones
Teusner Joshua & Avatar
Kabminye Grenache Carignan
Casa Freshi La Signora
Thorn Clarke Shotfire Quartage
Rymill MC2 (for a cheapie)

[Dave Dewhurst]

Its perhaps stating the obvious, but I suppose Pinot is rarely if ever blended as that's the appellation rule in Burgundy. If there's a better reason not to blend Pinot I'd be interested to hear it mind you.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd like a Pinot/Syrah blend though - wouldn't you lose the silky, subtle character of the pinot?

I could be a real pedant a say Champagne... .... although not in Burg obviously!! OK, churlish, I know!! Agreed on the Pinot/Shiraz blend, sounds dubious. I think I did have one a few years back at a wine fair somewhere - I remember my mate from the UK being outraged by it at the time!!

In relation to the original question, for me, blends are quintessentially important (whatever that means!), love my BDX, southern France and Spain, but also tend to prefer, for example, Aussie Cab-Merlots to straight Cabs and Aussie grenache and merlot definitely need blending!

Cheers

Dave

[Daryl Douglas]

The Quartage is another I forgot to mention - I've had plenty of the 05 and heaps of the 06, even have yet another bottle of the 06 lined up to drink in the next few days.

Tried an MC2 a year or two ago, 01 or 02 I think it was. Forgettable, didn't like it much.

daz

[griff]

There's also an appellation rule in Bordeaux saying you cannot blend Cabernet and Syrah. Doesn't stop the rest of the world though ...

True - but they are both varieties that have always been blended in the old world, so its less of a step in the new world to throw them together.

Hmmm ... I dare you to name me 5 well known old-world Cabernet Syrahs that people would have heard of.

Domaine de Trevallon (and that's post 1980s)
...?

If you can, I'm mighty impressed though.

Jay

Plenty of anecdotes about the fruit being brought up from Hermitage. Don't think they put in on the label. Wasn't around back then however

Seriously though. I would be willing to bet that the aussie blend caught on at the time that the practice in Bordeaux was more commonplace.

cheers

Carl

[Daryl Douglas]

Heres' another winery I forgot to mention that produces a couple of blends. I haven't tried their Single Wire varietal shiraz but have thoroughly enjoyed several bottles of the entry level shiraz, Melting Pot 04. It has some grenache and mourvedre added but presumably less than 15% as it's labelled a shiraz.

I'm presently sipping through my first bottle of their MGS (2003) Three Vines. The back label says it's comprised of 40% M, 30% G and 30% S. Fairly rich, sweetness balanced by spicy notes, red and dark fruits, good acid, a flick of wood and soft tannins.

Bought a couple of btls at the barn on the way home for $7. I'll go back tomorrow to get whatever bottles are left. I'd happily drink this any evening.

Cheers

daz

[Alex F]

Its perhaps stating the obvious, but I suppose Pinot is rarely if ever blended as that's the appellation rule in Burgundy. If there's a better reason not to blend Pinot I'd be interested to hear it mind you.

I may be wrong, but isn't passetoutgrain a blend of Pinot and Gamay?