2022 | Les Fiefs de Lagrange

A few years ago, an American movie Sideways, mocked the easy charm and ubiquity of Merlot.   Sales in the U.S. tumbled and it seemed as if Merlot’s future was uncertain.   However, on the other side of the Atlantic, Merlot is the most planted grape variety in Bordeaux and its charm, its early ripening and its high sugar levels can explain its success.   Merlot is round and voluptuous when ripe; it envelops the palate with juicy plum fruit, round tannins and a silky texture.  
 
Like its sibling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot makes good wines in a variety of climates and regions. It is easy to grow, producing good yields and more sweet, round fruit often with an opulent character.  It comes to its peak on the plateau of Pomerol where two famous wines, Le Pin and Petrus, are made uniquely from Merlot grapes.  Here, the cooler, water-retentive soils of calcareous clay are ideally suited to Merlot, which requires less heat to ripen than Cabernet Sauvignon.  In Saint Emilion, it is often blended with Cabernet Franc, which lends minty freshness, acidity and tannic structure to the sometimes overly rounded Merlot.   Pomerol can be recognised by its earthy truffle scent while Saint-Emilion wines are more fruit-dominated. Once mature, these wines develop a typically smoky aroma.
 
Merlot’s character is often exploited in blending: in Tuscan Chianti, for instance, soft Merlot rounds Sangiovese’s rougher edges while Vino Nobile di Montepulciano gains extra juiciness and fruit by its addition.  Elsewhere in the world, it is very important in Chile and to a lesser extent in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  Our selection

Cabernet Sauvignon is synonymous with red Bordeaux where it originated; a wine style so eminent that it is emulated everywhere. This has made Cabernet into a veritable globetrotter, adapting so well to different cultures and climates that it is grown with success throughout the world.   Rather like Chardonnay, the two have become the vanilla and chocolate ice-cream flavours of wine. Interestingly, Cabernet Sauvignon is the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the parentage probably happening by accident sometime in the 18th century in Bordeaux.  
 
Cabernet Sauvignon has typical aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants and green peppers, the latter become more apparent in slightly unripe wines.   As they ripen, the grapes develop aromas of eucalyptus, mint, tobacco and cedar. Cabernet’s thick grape skins are full of phenols that add tannic structure and deep colour to the wine.   In spite of its power, Cabernet Sauvignon is not particularly round and fleshy and can sometimes seem hollow in the middle, a characteristic sometimes called the “donut-effect”.   It is therefore often blended with mouth filling Merlot. Only in warm climates where full ripeness softens Cabernet’s tannic rigour is it bottled on its own.  Its structure also explains its affinity with oak: the additional tannins and toasty aromas of new French oak barrels marry well with the grape. Cabernet Sauvignon develops real interest with bottle age. Oak, Cabernet and its blending partners unite to form a complex, mature bouquet while the tannic grip softens.
 
In Bordeaux, Cabernet is grown on the warm gravelly Left Bank of the
Gironde. It needs warmth to ripen fully and mirrors terroir. Wines from Saint-
Estèphe show grip and intense earthy notes. Pauillac is a benchmark with its balance between power, elegance, opulence and cigar box aromas. Saint-Julien shows mineral definition, pure fruit and linear structure. Margaux is all about silky texture wrapped around firm tannins. Pessac-Léognan from the top of the Graves is lighter with hints of pencil shavings.
 
Cabernet Sauvignon also shines in other well-known wine regions throughout the world:  In Maremma and Bolgheri, coastal Tuscany shares a maritime climate with Bordeaux. Here, Cabernet is successfully blended with both Merlot and Sangiovese.  Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the star varietals in California’s Napa Valley producing wines that are concentrated and extracted often with elevated alcohol levels. Australia’s heartland for Cabernet is Coonawarra: recognizable by its eucalyptus scent, ripe fruit and its savoury tannins, while Margaret River Cabernet is more restrained, elegant and minty. Chilean Cabernet’s blackcurrant aromas virtually jump out of the glass and in South Africa, it is the Cape’s most planted red grape, usually blended with Merlot to make charming wines especially in Stellenbosch and Paarl. Our selection

One of the grapes used in the Bordeaux blend, Petit Verdot has seen resurgence due to global warming.  It had been abandoned for several decades because it was a late ripening grape variety that never managed to get fully mature.  However, in the last 20 years, it has made a come back and contributes spice, colour and depth.  It is found chiefly in the Médoc where it makes up part of the blend at such classified growths as La Lagune, Lagrange, Margaux and Pichon Lalande.
 
Petit Verdot is well suited to gravelly, well-drained soils and produces small berries with thick skins.  It has gained popularity in Tuscany recently where it is used in top blends in Maremma and as a single varietal.  The grape is also successful in the New World in California, Argentina, Australia and South Africa where it is increasingly being used as a single varietal.  Our selection