To get to this topic, one firstly needs to clarify what is a blended wine. The common understanding is that it is a wine of different vineyards or of different varieties. There can also be a blending of different sorts in a single vineyard, single variety wine. For example, the grapes which go into Henschke’s Hill of Grace are grown on four different soil types. As another example, Torbreck’s Laird vineyard has in one half an easterly exposure, and in the other half a westerly exposure. The top part of the vineyard has very little top soil, the bottom part has a lot more. However, these variations are not normally used to name a wine a blended wine.
The blending of wine is often used to increase complexity and layering of fruit. Penfolds would be a master of this approach. Considerable skill and experience is required to deliver a seamless wine from different locations or grape varieties. The two single vineyard wine examples I quoted are fortunate that they can deliver complexity from a single vineyard due to its composition.
The main purpose of single vineyard wines is a different one. It is to highlight the terroir. For example, a sandy ground delivers perfumed wines, ironstone soil delivers tannic wines. Another issue that comes in here is the topic of clones. The winemaker of Williams-Selyem, a highly regarded Sonoma producer, made the point that combining different clones in a young vineyard makes a lot of sense, as they emphasize different aspects. This is particularly true for Pinot Noir, a variety quite sensitive to clonal variety. On the other hand, he claims, these differences disappear in older vineyards, as the terroir takes over.
And then there are tools in the winery to add complexity, for example combining different vessels in maturation, part whole-bunch, or different times on lees.
As with everything in wine, there are many options. Hopefully I added some clarity to the topic of wine complexity.
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