In Defense of Blends

Among the many great wines I sampled during my trip to Western Australia last month was an array of Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends.  These wines are everywhere in Western OZ, and it' s no wonder: They're fresh, lively and perfect for summertime drinking. Depending on the ratio of the grape varieties, the combo of SB and Semillon can yield a grassy, herbaceous wine, or one that's a bit rounder with passionfruit notes. Just thinking about it makes me thirsty!

But before you start drooling, I should tell you that these Western Australian beauties aren't easy to find in the US of A. Why? Because someone went and told the Aussies that Americans think single-varietal wines are better than blends. Do people in the U.S. really still believe that? Most wines these days have a little something blended in to help balance their flavors, give them better color or add more enticing aromas. Many people unknowingly drink Cabernet enhanced with Merlot or Malbec, or Syrah kissed with a touch of Viognier (another fairly common Aussie combination, following the Rhone model), because the blending grapes aren't always listed on the labels. There's no shame in mixing different grape varieties--most of the time such inter-grape blending results in tastier wine.

But I don't have to tell you that, right? If you're reading this blog, you're probably well aware of the benefits of blending. So back to my original subject: Sauv Blanc/Semillon blends from Western Australia. Though I've painted a pretty bleak picture of their availability here, some have managed to make it over to our hemisphere. Here are reviews of some of my favorites, taken from my latest column for Wine Review Online:

Chalice Bridge, Margaret River Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($20, Vinum Global):  Made from 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc, this is Chalice Bridge's top-selling wine.  It's fresh and clean, with passion fruit/guava aromas, grassy notes and good concentration. 

Clairalt, Margaret River Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($20, Clairault, Inc.):  A 50-50 blend, the wine has a lovely floral aroma and nice roundness, while retaining its fresh grapefruit aroma and flavor.  It's crisp, but more complex and balanced than the winery's straight Sauvignon Blanc wine. 

Moss Wood, Margaret River Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($22, USA Wine Imports):  Made in stainless steel tanks, this SSB is heavy on the Semillon (70%), which gives it soft, round flavors of melon, along with flinty, mineral notes and balanced crispness. 

Watershed, Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 'Shades' 2007 ($18, America Uncorked):  With tropical aromas of passion fruit and guava, Watershed's SBS (70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon) has refreshing grapefruit/citrus flavors and a fresh, clean finish.  This is one of my favorite Western Australian SBS wines. 

Barwick Estates, Pemberton, Margaret River  Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2007 ($13, Great Sunsan Imports):  The Barwick SSB's tropical fruit aroma is accented with a pleasantly grassy edge.  On the palate, it's crisp and balanced, with zesty citrus/lime flavors and mineral notes.  It's a great value at just over $10. 

Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 'Siblings' 2007 ($18, Old Bridge Cellars):  Leeuwin's winemaker prefers to make his SBS in the grassy-herbal style, rather than in the tropical-fruit style some others prefer.  The wine's aroma has notes of freshly cut grass and green beans, with crisp lemon-citrus flavor and balanced, bright acidity. 

To find the wines in your area, check search-engine sites like Wine Searcher. Or, if you live near San Francisco, head for The Jug Shop, which has a terrific selection of Australian wines.

It's worth the effort, I promise! 

Comments

[Morton Leslie]

Blending is an obvious tool in controling how a wine tastes but I think it is overdone. (Full disclosure I argue both sides of this issue depending on the wind direction.) My problem on this windy day, is that the winemaker fixes the deficiencies of his Cabernet with Merlot and the problems with his Merlot with Cabernet and the problems with Cabernet Franc with both Merlot and Cabernet. The problem is, of course, the resulting Merlot tastes like a Cabernet and the Cabernet a lot like a Merlot. Similarly, the winemaker adds a little Shiraz to his Cabernet and a little Cabernet to his Shiraz. Pinot producers add a little Syrah to bolster "strength" or they add a little Chardonnay to soften the finish. Aussies add a little Semillon to that Chardonnay to give it some character and richness. Some just blend to make their wines different that competitors or give them something to talk about. Most probably make "better" wines and get better prices, but something is lost.

I think what is lost is Nature. The winemaker's hand replaces the surprises of nature. The hand tends to be predictable. (If anything, Nature is not predictable.) To his defense, often the blending is done to avoid extremes that worry the winemaker. Will the customer accept this light color? Won't the critic think the Merlot is better if it has bigger tannins and darker color? Hard to blame them for playing it safe with their blending. But I think it is overdone.

I would never argue, however, against a field blend. Pick the Cab with the Merlot, put the grapes together in the tank and take out of it what Nature gives you. What a great compromise! This is rarely done, however.

[Mark V Marino]

Yes Blends add complexity and layers. I had some excellent ones of recent, the Vinum Boys red dirt red! Hmmm

[UK Wine Direct]

I once got to try a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon, but as you say it's not easy to find in the US or in the UK where I'm based most of the time.

A great shame!

Michael.
http://ukwinedirect.com

[Wine Bloke]

There's some unbelievable wines in WA - my business partner, the other wine bloke from our blog, has worked in many vineyards over there and always produces a top notch bottle I'd never even heard of. There's nothing wrong with a good blend, but some of the smaller guys are producing real quality in WA.