Another annoying newb question

As I have come to understand, assuming I have my facts straight, Bordeaux reds can consist of up to 5 grapes. The first two big ones being Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The others are used in smaller amounts and consist of Cabernet Franc, Malbec (which I understand is used in very rarely these days), Carmenere, and Petit Verdot.

Is there any particular rule that states the Cab Sav and Merlot grapes have to be the two major grapes in any Bordeaux red? What happens if one were to increase, say, the Petit Verdot to where there's more Petit Verdot than the Merlot? What attributes do the Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cab Franc and Carmenere possess that causes them to be used so infrequently in comparison to the Merlot and Cab Sav?

Liz, while this is not an extensive reply, I'd just like to mention that there are exceptions to the rule that Cab S and Merlot are dominating the blends, also among the greater châteaux. In particualr in St Emillion, on the right shore, the wines tend to have a high proportion of Cabernet Franc. A well known example is the most famous château there, namely Château Cheval Blanc, that has about 60% of Cab Franc and 40% Merlot.
I hope others will follow to fill in with more information about the less used grapes.
Cheers, Anders

I recently tried a unique Californiaq wine, St. Francis "Anthem" that was the "opposite" from the usual blend-i.e., almost all of the wine was Petit Verdot and Malbec, with the "other" three at leass than 10% per grape. It was unique=very floral and "purplish" in flavor (I can't describe it any other way.)

[David M. Bueker]

Liz,

Carmenere is no longer planted in Bordeaux. So there are indeed only 5 grapes. Malbec is the least used, but Petit Verdot does not get a lot of play.

There are no rules about how much of any grape must be used. It's the terroir/conditions that have dictated that Cabernet Sauvignon (left bank) and Merlot (right bank) be the most commonly used/dominant grapes.

Hi Liz,
The French are ‘masters” when it comes to winemaking. Surely the “composition percentages” are not “written in stone”. The composition percentage will probably depend upon the quality of the fruit at harvest. Surely, because in some locations they have been growing grapes for thousands of years, there are “guide lines” (lots of experience) to follow.

Salute

I used to buy a Bordeaux from a minor Chateau that was 60% Petit Verdot.

The reason for teh predominence of Cab & Merlot is that they grew best there -- Petit Verdot (which means little green one) ripened only in the best summers, however with the warmer vintages of late more PV is beingplanted --see this Decanter story http://www.decanter.com/news/140404.html

"Statistics provided by the CIVB show an increase of over 10% of petit verdot in the region with plantings growing from 422 to 479ha (hectares) in recent years.

According to producers, this increase is mainly due to the recent run of warmer harvests.

Other less-used grapes such as the red malbec and white muscadelle are also finding their way into blends in greater quantities, particularly in Cotes de Bourg and Premieres Cotes de Blaye"

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère are all authorized in Médoc, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol but, doing a rapid flick through all the estates mentioned in RVF's Classement, I could not find a single one which plants Carmenère, which bears out what David says above.

I did find one oddity; Château L'Inclassable (formerly Lafon) is shown as having 25% planted with Menu Pineau!!?? Does anyone know what this is? It doesn't seem to be authorized.

The proportion of Merlot seems to be creeping up everywhere, probably due to its populist appeal. A pity when Cabernet Sauvignon is probably now ripening properly more often than at any time in the history Bordeaux.

I wonder if that's a typo, Tim. Other sources give the following ratios:

Cabernet Sauvignon 55% - Merlot 30% - Cabernet Franc 9% - Petit Verdot 6%

See for example:

http://www.e-sommelier.com/Bordeaux/Med ... sable.html

and more generally

http://www.crus-bourgeois.com/

[David M. Bueker]

FYI - Carmenere was common prior to the phyloxera invasion of the 1800s. It was not replated after that.

Bob

Re: typo

You are right. It is not repeated in the 2008 edition. It was the 2007 edition which i flicked through.

[Jenise]

doing a rapid flick through all the estates mentioned in RVF's Classement, I could not find a single one which plants Carmenère, which bears out what David says above.

Yet there's a Washington winery, Colvin, that is making 100% carmenere rather successfully, and he bought his vines in France. Wonder where the carmenere's coming from if no one there is making wine with it?

Randy, my sub is screwed up at the moment and I can't get online there. Is the article about Carmenere -- which I didn't discuss -- or Menu Pineau?

Thanks, Bob

[David M. Bueker]

There's a good bit of carmenere planted in South America. At one time a lot of it was sold as merlot in the USA because the ever so smart US Government did not officially recognize/allow Carmenere as a grape variety.

Re: Carmenère from France

It may arise from any of or a combination of the three factors below-

1) There may be Bordeaux (and satellite) estates outside the numerical minority reported in the Classement, which have Carmenère in their blends. (I will flick through the pages on Buzet and Bergerac, etc. to see what comes up.)
2) Some Carmenère may be declared as Merlot.
3) French vine nurseries may be producing Carmenère mainly for export.

Unless I have missed it above, I find it surprising that no one has mentioned that Carmenère is grown quite a lot in Chile. It was rather widespread, already many years ago, but was believed to be Merlot. Then it was discovered that many of the Merlot vines were in fact Carmenère, and now the Chileans have adopted this variety as their own grape, in a similar way as California has its Zinfandel. Personally, I find the wines from Carmenère to be rather Cabernet-like in style, but often a bit coarse and also grassy in character.
Cheers, Anders

According to the Wine-grape Glossary, Menu Pineau (also known as Petit Pineau) is the same as Arbois (a white wine grape).

Salute

[David M. Bueker]

Unless I have missed it above, I find it surprising that no one has mentioned that Carmenère is grown quite a lot in Chile. It was rather widespread, already many years ago, but was believed to be Merlot. Then it was discovered that many of the Merlot vines were in fact Carmenère, and now the Chileans have adopted this variety as their own grape, in a similar way as California has its Zinfandel. Personally, I find the wines from Carmenère to be rather Cabernet-like in style, but often a bit coarse and also grassy in character.
Cheers, Anders

I mentioned South America above. The vines were brought by transplanted Europeans shortly after phyloxera hit Europe if I have my history straight.

Sorry David, for some strange reason I read South Africa instead of South America in your post. I admit that I ought to have realized my mistake, since I have never heard of Carmenère being grown in any large extent in South Africa...
The claim that the misnomer was due to a wish to comply with the US regulations was new to me, I have heard that the Chileans did not know they were actually growing Carmenère. Are you sure about this version?

Cheers, Anders

Re: Carmenère in France

Doing a French Google search I found a reference to 1% of Carmenère planted at Château de Pressac in Saint-Emilion and a report by a nursery's laboratory on an experimental plantation, which seems to show that there is some interest in the variety down there. Here the link, technical and boring for me,
http://vignovin.pwb.ro/partenaires/merc ... menere.pdf

Another site on Bordeaux Supérieur refers to Carmenère as "practically disappeared".

I don't think that there is much more to say but it will be interesting to see if there is a revival.

Incidentally the same nursery's laboratory has also done a report on Petit Verdot.

I have never heard of Carmenère being grown in any large extent in South Africa...
The claim that the misnomer was due to a wish to comply with the US regulations was new to me, I have heard that the Chileans did not know they were actually growing Carmenère. Are you sure about this version?

Carmenere is not commercially planted in South Africa.

Chilean authorities only approved the use of the Carmenere name on labels in 1998 and it was only recognised there a few years before. Up till then it was assumed to be Merlot.

Re the USA, in my book I print the legend:-
It’s said that when buyers went to Chile in the ‘90s looking to satisfy America’s insatiable demand for Merlot they couldn’t find any. Growers shook their heads.

“Someone must have Merlot,” exploded one buyer, “We’re prepared to pay top dollar and take all you have.”

The growers looked at each other then exclaimed “Oh! Merlot!!! You want Merlot? We have Merlot,” and many Chilean bottles labelled Merlot were Carmenère.

Chateau Clerc Milon (Bordeaux 5th growth) has 1% of its 43 ha planted with Carmenere.

Source : - http://www.thewinedoctor.com/bordeaux/clercmilon.shtml

Just my 2¢:

What happened in Chile — merlot being discovered as carmenère — also happened in northern Italy, albeit on a much smaller (and much less publicized) base, and not with merlot, but cabernet franc.

Maurizio Zanella from Cà del Bosco in Lombardia ordered cabernet franc from an Italian and a French nursery. Quite obviously, they were not the same. In a kind of pre-court settlement all parties agreed on Pierre Galet, the ampelographist guru from University of Montpellier, as referee. He identified the Italian version as being carmenère.

There is already one minor Italian DOC that specificly names carmenère as authorized variety, but I don't remember the name.

Maurizio Zanella, btw, chose to bottle the Italian version separately as vino da tavola and called it "Carmeneto".

A few years ago Ronald Barton opened for me at Langoa two bottles of his Leoville Barton of that light and not very well renowned year 1938. One was made from the normal blend of grapes;it was drinkable but rather faded. The second had been made exclusively from Petit-Verdot; this had much more fruit and flavour than the first. However it is only grown marginally, being subject to coulure and to rot in a late harverst.

Edward Penning-Rowsell - The Wines of Bordeaux 1969/Penguin edition 1973)

The winery website doesn't mention any Petit Verdot planted now

[David M. Bueker]

The growers knew it was Carmenere long before they were allowed to have it on wine labels (apparently by both the Chilean and US governments).