Blends: Get Clear About Claret!

Not every blend is a claret, but every claret is a blend.  Dating back to the days of Eleanor of Aquitane in the 12th century, the term claret used to refer to a dark rose' wine, produced by the winemakers of Bordeaux for the English market.  Nowdays, the European Union protects the term as it refers to a red Bordeaux wine, usually containing at least cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.

Over here in the colonies, or at least the US, it can indicate of a blend of most any varieties, but usually contains the big three.  In Oregon, in order for the term claret to be used, the wine must contain at least two of the following:  Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Carmenere or Malbec.  This week we'll help clarify what this blend business is all about. 

• Revelry Vintners Reveler Red 2009 - Glass $6/Bottle $14.95

One of the lesser Bordeaux blending varieties is always used to anchor the Reveler Columbia Valley cuvee, although the precise variety and blend may and does change with each vintage.  In this case, its Cabernet Franc, with equal help from Merlot that make up 72% of the blend.  Grapes are sourced from Seven Hills, Alder Ridge, Weinbau and Doval vineyards, and see two years in French and American oak barrels before bottling.   

• Chateau du Courlat Lussac St. Emillion 2009 - Glass $8/Bottle $23.95

Lussac-St. Emillion is the northern sub-region of the larger St. Emillion district which is situated on the right bank of the Gironde river, a waterway which separates the two important regions of Bordeaux.  While Cabernet Sauvignon predominates in the vineyards and blends from the "left bank", it is Merlot, and to a lesser extenet Cabernet Franc, which form the foundation of wines from St. Emillion and others on the right bank.  These are softer wines, more approachable at an earlier age, with less tannin than those that rely on Cabernet Sauvignon as their base. 

• Aia Vecchia Lagone 2008 - Glass $7/Bottle $14.95

The plains of Bolgheri lie along the western coast of Tuscany and the grapes grown there benefit from the marine influence and deep soil.  Because Italian winemakers felt constrained by traditional DOC wine regulations, they invented blends that incorporated non-indigenous varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as native grapes such as Sangiovese.  These wines were very popular and came to be known as Super Tuscans in the international wine community, so much so that the regulators have developed a special category to include them:  IGT - Indicazione Geografica Tipica.  This wine is a traditional Bordeaux blend of Cab, Cab Franc and 60% Merlot. 

• Domaine Eden 2008 - Glass $9/Bottle $27.95

Domaine Eden is a program from Mount Eden Vineyards in California that focuses on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Grapes for this blend came from the Mount Eden vineyards as well as three other sites in Saratoga and Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA south of San Francisco along the coast.  Grape lots are fermented separately, and aged for two years prior to formulating the final blend, which in this instance includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petite Verdot and even a bit of Malbec.  Can you say complex?

• Helix Pomatia 2007 - Glass $7/Bottle $15.95

Chuck Reininger sources wines for his Helix label from the larger Columbia Valley region, and then puts his unique stamp on each blend.  This voluptuous cuvee includes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc.  To add even further complexity, a mixture of oak barrels from the US, France and even Russia are used, about a third of which were new.  Quite a palate-full.