Bordeaux

Most wine drinkers have seen the movie Sideways (2004) and know that Miles Raymond (the main character – Paul Giamatti) just about killed the Merlot market in the US as he continually demeaned that grape while touting Pinot Noir. Actually, market analysis shows that Merlot sales were already in decline, although that trend accelerated after the movie – quite a feat for a fictional character.

Given his incessant praise of Pinot Noir, one might expect that Miles’ dream wine would be a Grand Cru Red Burgundy. Ironically, it was a Bordeaux, the 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc St. Émilion Grand Cru, a Right Bank Bordeaux that is typically produced from 55% - 60% Merlot, with most of the balance Cabernet Franc, and, some years, trace amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cheval Blanc became his “dream wine” because Chateau Petrus refused to grant permission to use its name in the movie – somewhat diminishing the irony as the latter is usually produced from 95% - 100% Merlot, the balance, if any, Cabernet Franc. 

And that leads us to another irony. While many tend to think of Bordeaux as the French region for Cabernet Sauvignon – and it is, 62% of the red grapes grown in Bordeaux are… Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for just 25%, Cabernet Franc 12%, with several grapes providing the final 1%.

That is not to say that Bordeaux wines are all predominantly Merlot based blends – they aren’t. Bordeaux, geographically, is like an upside down “Y” -- (L)(R) with the Garonne (L) and Dordogne (R) Rivers meeting to form the Gironde estuary (the stem of the “Y”), which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The wines produced on the Left or west side of our “Y” (referred to as “Left Bank”), tend to be weighted toward Cabernet Sauvignon, while those on the Right or east side (referred to as “Right Bank”) tend to be weighted toward Merlot.

The reason Merlot is so ubiquitous in Bordeaux is that while the Right Bank wines are very heavily weighted to Merlot, the balance of the Right Bank blend is, more often than not, predominantly Cabernet Franc with only relatively small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Left Bank wines, on the other hand, very often include 20% to 45% Merlot.

In the USA, to label a wine varietally, it must contain at least 75% of the named varietal – so, you can’t label a bottle “Cabernet Sauvignon” unless at least 75% of the wine in that bottle is from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The majority of Left Bank Bordeauxs could not be labeled “Cabernet Sauvignon” in the US. Those most likely to meet the labeling requirement are “First Growth” (Premier Cru) estates. Based on their prices and availability, they are also unlikely purchases for the average wine drinker.

Many people who tell me that they do not like Merlot and drink Bordeauxs will, when asked to point out some that they like, invariably point out a couple of St. Émilions. So, one can only conclude that what they really don’t like is Merlot that’s not well-made. It is a great grape when properly handled. And let’s not forget that in the end, Miles’ dream wine was a Merlot.

Nonetheless, to help you figure out your Bordeaux, wines from the following Left Bank appellations will typically be a blend of 50%-65% Cabernet, with most of the balance likely Merlot: Médoc, St. Estephe, Pauillac, Saint Julien, Haut Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux.

These Right Bank appellations will usually be a blend of 60%-100% Merlot with most of the balance Cabernet Franc: Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Fronsac, Pomerol, Bordeaux Superieur, Côtes de Francs, Côtes de Castillon, St. Émilion.