, y t e i r a v e l & g d n e si d n ble reds d e t r o p im BY
‘Blended Reds’ is a category of wine that is made with two or more red varieties fermented together or the blending of finished wine into a particular house style. The red wines of Bordeaux are typically a blend of the Cabernets and Merlot (++), the Rioja red wines of Spain are nearly always blended from Tempranillo and Grenache (++), and the famous Chianti wines from Tuscany, Italy are reds from Sangiovese and Cabernet (++). New Zealand produces some fantastic blended red wines, with many grown in Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Auckland, Wairarapa, Nelson, Northland and North Canterbury. The varieties used are mainly the Cabernets and Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Carmenere, Tempranillo and Sangiovese. Classic blends are the most common, so Merlot with the Cabernets or Malbec with Merlot. There are no rules around which varieties should be together, however the classic blends are well established benchmarks. I once tasted a wine that was a blend of every single variety the producer grew, a sensory overload and confused package of flavours. A blended red wine is made to showcase the individual attributes of specific varieties grown on soils that complement the variety, and in combination
with specific vinification techniques such as the use of oak, produces synergies and complexities that can be fantastic to taste. The idea of unravelling a wine through aroma, taste and fun conversation is in part why blended reds can be so appealing. They can be a bit limiting when it comes to pairing with food sometimes, as these full-bodied examples tend to show more complexity and textures, limiting the food pairing often to main courses and cheeses. Blended reds can be very ageworthy wines too with plenty of fruit concentration, bold tannins from oak and fruit, along with an abundance of acidity, needing time to harmonise, reaching the right balance and window for drinking. Oak is almost a given with this wine category adding texture, complexity and adding months, if not years, to the ageing potential. It is typical for a blended red to need at least three years in bottle to reach a point where it can be enjoyed with food, but most often between five and 20 years to develop completely. Splash decanting blended red wines for service is a good technique to utilise when a wine is young and needs some oxygen ingress to age the wine a little.
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DOUGLA CAMERON
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Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. An experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant, he is academically in charge of the Wine and Beverage Programme at AUT University in Auckland and is Patron of the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association. Douglas consults to a variety of establishments, taking care of their wine lists, wine and food pairings, and staff training matters and he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas. 22 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2021
