MUSCAT BLENDS
Blending wine is a time honored technique that has been used for hundreds of years. Even though blending is often regarded as technique that is used as a means of masking dubious wines, in fact, blending ranks with fermentation as a critical part of the wine making process.
Wines are blended for many reasons: to overcome deficiencies, to balance the wine, to refine flavors, to enhance elements in a varietal, to maximize the expression of a wine, to pull in characteristics from multiple grapes, to produce unique nuance, to enhance complexity. This is done by manipulating the following elements: aroma, color, texture, body, finish, flavor, acidity, sweetness, alcohol, tannin, freshness, fruitiness, bitterness, oak flavor.
If blending is understood in all its complexity, virtually all wines produced anywhere in the world are blended before being bottled.
Varietal blending pulls in the best characteristics of one variety from multiple vineyards. The Grand Vin Bordeaux wines are blends from the best vines, the best parcels of the vineyard/vineyards, the best barrels, all from the same vintage.
Nonvarietal blending involves blending wine from more than one grape.
Many classic red wines from the Bordeaux regions are made by blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in various proportions. Port, an iconic dessert wine, consists of a blend of several grapes chosen from indigenous Portuguese varieties. The most famous Cotes du Rhone wines from the Rhone valley in France are a combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mouredre grapes.
Nonvarietal blending can consist of: differing grape varieties, juice from different pressings, fermentation at different temperatures, fermentation from different yeasts, fermentation in wood, storage in stainless steel, maturation in oak, wine from different vintages. The complexities of blending, if done successfully, can have a major effect on the style of wine and allows the winemaker to fine tune flaws and create complex creative wines.
Muscat grapes play an important role in nonvarietal wines. New Muscat wines are characterized by spice, orange blossom, musk, candied grape, stone fruit (peach, apricot),ripe pear, melon, rose petal, pineapple, honey and citrus flavors. Aged Muscats exhibit figs, coffee, prunes, nuts, honey, coffee, blackberry, jammy and complex honey tastes.
Muscat/Chardonnay (Muscat is used to add perfume to the Chardonnay) and Muscat/Viognier (Muscat brings its distinct grapey aromas and flavors of green melon to the Viognier) are popular blends.
In Alsace, the term “Gentil” is reserved for AOC Alsace wines conforming to a blend consisting of a minimum of 50% Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and/or Gewurztraminer with the rest made up of Sylvaner, Chasselas and/or Pinot Blanc. Reisling is the most important component of the blend,
Gewurtzminer provides the intense floral tones, Pinot Gris the refreshing bitterness and the uplifting aromatics come from the Muscat.
In other regions of France Muscat a Petits Grains is blended with Muscat Ottonel to make bright, dry wines.
The marvellous fortified Muscats of Australia’s Rutherford region are blends of a range of Muscat wines of varying vintage, richness and complexity.
Carefully chosen, Muscat can play a major role in the development of creative, carefully nuanced blended wines.