Pinot Noir is probably the grape variety most influenced by clone selection. Therefore, many years ago, winemakers were trying to identify the ‘best’ clone. They then discovered a certain sameness in the grape juice. Then there was a switch to growing a number of different clones per vineyard which lead to positive results; more interesting wines.
Single vineyard wines are all the rage now, and they are supposed to represent the place where the grapes come from, but do they deliver the most interesting wine? Penfolds does not think so. It is famous for its multi-regional blends. And if you have ever tried Grange, you may have marveled at the layering of the fruit flavours. This is the result of different vineyard sources.
But if you dig a little deeper, a more complex picture emerges. Take Château Cheval-Blanc, the famous right bank winery in Bordeaux. The vineyard has sections of gravel, clay, and sandy soil. They have identified 53 mini vineyards on this site. They have younger and older vines. They grow Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. All this goes into their famous wine. Single vineyard yes, but a multitude of expressions.
Closer to home, the Gnadenfrei vineyard at Marananga has a west and an east orientation. At the top of the hill, there is little top soil. At the bottom, there is alluvial soil. All this is the source of Torbreck’s Laird.
Vineyards and winemaking are incredibly complex. There is not a one size fits all, but complexity is something worth striving for.
Any thoughts?
3 comments:
I agree. I’m a big fan of red blends (Shiraz Cabernet) for this reason. Especially when done well.
We're getting better at clarifying these nuances over time. A concern I guess is the price point that gets accompanied by 😅
I appreciate the variety of approaches though and do wish you saw more blend takes rather than single varietal, single vineyard necessarily. The whole can be greater than its individual parts. You see that with some individual producers like Terre a Terre - reds are all/mostly blends I believe.
Mind you blending can get awfully generic too, thinking some hardys/penfolds expressions at lower price points
Perhaps blending is like asset diversification as an investment technique. More consistent and predictable, but less likely to achieved either exceptional or dreadful results?
One would expect that a single site would have greater distinctiveness than a multi-regional site, as opposed to a biggest and more diverse set of components in the multi-regional blend. But is full orchestra inherently more 'complex' than say a string quartet? Based on the finite limits of human sensory perception, not necessarily.
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