A Quick Overview of Bordeaux Blends

Here’s everything you need to know concerning Bordeaux blends.

What grape did varieties constitute a Bordeaux blend?

Red Bordeaux blends include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

White Bordeaux blends contain Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grape varieties.

What types of Bordeaux blends are there?

Red Bordeaux blends can be classified as:

• Right Bank Blends These are Merlot dominant blended made from right bank appellations in the Gironde estuary.
• Left Bank Blends: These wines are Cabernet-dominant and produced in the left bank appellations within the estuary.

Where can I find Bordeaux blend wines?

The Bordeaux region is home to authentic Bordeaux blends. Bordeaux-style blends can also be produced in the United States (Napa Valley), Canada and Australia.

What does a Bordeaux blend taste like?

Left Bank Bordeaux blends have strong, robust, and intense fruit aromas. They also contain flavor.

Right, Bank Bordeaux blends are rich in spicy fruit flavors and have a soft, silky texture.

White Bordeaux blends have a citrusy flavor and herbaceous aromas. They also possess good minerality.

What’s Meritage?

Meritage refers to Bordeaux blends that are not made in France. Every winemaker must pay a licensing fee to add the term Meritage on their labels.

Ten Best Bordeaux Blend Wines for 2021

Here are some of the top red and white Bordeaux blend wines around the globe:

Let’s take a look at some red Bordeaux blends.

1. 2015 Liber Pater ($38.025) 

This red blend has intense black fruit, plum, black cherry notes, firm tannin levels, and balanced acidity.

1. 1990 Harlan Estate ($8,112)

Here we have a prestigious red wine from Napa Valley with an effusive bouquet of fruit aromas, cassis notes, and velvety tannins.

1. 2016 Verite Red ($1,268)

This bold Bordeaux wine is a red blend enriched with black currant and red fruit flavors, underscored by dried clove and mint aromas.

1. 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($1,820)

Here’s an elegant red wine packed with bold fruit notes. This structured wine also offers intense black currant, plum, and cassis aromas.

1. 2005 Chateau Ausone ($1,683)

This Cabernet Sauvignon blended wine has complex tannin layers offset by rich oak and black fruit aromas. Its palate delivers exquisite black cherry and red fruit flavors.

These are some stunning white Bordeaux blends.

1. 2009 Liber Pater Blanc ($4,293)

Here we have a dry white Bordeaux blend with honeyed fruit, nuts, and pineapple notes.

1. 2010 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc ($1,119)

This is a fine Bordeaux white wine with a zesty palate of green apple and nuts, along with an intense floral nose and good acidity.

1. 2011 Chateau Cheval Blanc ‘Le Petit Cheval Blanc’ White ($228)

Here’s a white Bordeaux wine with fragrant fruit flavors balanced by a nose of lime and pineapple.

1. 2009 Chateau Cos d’Estournel Blanc ($347)

This incredible dry white blend with a crisp floral bouquet and fresh grapefruit, herb, and honeysuckle notes.

1. 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (165).

Here we have an exquisite blended wine infused with tropical fruit aromas. It shows potent acidity and intense lime flavors.

Investing in Bordeaux Blends

If you want to invest in some great Bordeaux blends, explore the trusted wine investment company Vinovest. They will help you invest in fine wines with just a few clicks on their website.

Bordeaux blend wines are known for their high aging potential. Red wines can be aged for 20 years in a cellar, while white wines can last for between 8-10 years. 

These wines are actively traded on the secondary market.

Take, for instance, the period 2020-2021

• The 2018 Chateau Lafite Rothschild vintage was worth approximately 47%, from $646 to $144.
• The 1993 Chateau la Mission Haut-Brion blanc skyrocketed by more than 92%, rising from $148 to $403.

Bordeaux blends are also top performers in several wine auctions.

• A 12-bottle lot from 1945 Chateau Moton-Rothschild was auctioned by Sotheby’s for $111,000.
• A 6-liter bottle of 1947 Chateau Cheval blanc was sold at a Christie’s auction for $304,375. These wines pair well with lamb, chicken, beef, and roasted vegetables. These white wines pair well with seafood, pasta, and chicken. Vinification of Bordeaux BlendsThe Bordeaux Reds is made from grapes that have been macerated with the skins still on. This gives the wine more body and higher levels of tannins. White Bordeaux blends are made from grape juice that has been fermented in stainless steel, French oak, or concrete vats. They are aged for at most 12 months. French oak barrels are used for the aging process.