Dordogne and South West France's Grapes: Cabernet Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Muscadelle, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Tannat, Ugni Blanc

Cabernet Blanc

Cabernet Franc

It would hard to talk about the French black grape variety Cabernet Franc without mentioning Cabernet Sauvignon, the variety with which it is frequently blended and to which it quite regularly plays second fiddle. But then they are related � Cabernet Franc is a parent of the more widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Sauvignon Blanc. Not surprisingly, then, does Cabernet Franc share many characteristics with its offspring, though the resulting wine is lighter and less tannic. Expect something light to medium bodied, with good aromas, including some herbaceousness reminiscent of unripe Cabernet Sauvignon but with more immediate fruit. Cabernet Franc is happy in cool, inland climates, such as the middle Loire (Anjou-Saumur and Touraine) and the Libournais in Bordeaux. It buds and matures over a week earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, is easier to ripen fully and less troubled by poor weather during harvest. In Bordeaux�s Medoc and Graves, where it is always blended with other grapes, it is planted as insurance in case the Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot harvests fall foul of the weather. As well as being found all over southwest France, it�s also prevalent in northwest Italy (though some of what was thought to be Cabernet Franc has turned out to be Carmenere), is gaining popularity in Tuscany and central Italy as a supplement to their Cabernet Sauvignon, and appears in Slovenia and further east. In most other countries where there are Cabernet Franc vineyards (the New World, for instance), it is there for one reason: to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon for a Bordeaux mix. Occasionally, it brings something surprising too � Canada, for example, has made ice wine from it and, of course, it would be remiss not to mention Bordeaux beauty Cheval Blanc � the most exalted Cabernet Franc-dominated wine in the world.

Malbec

The black Malbec grape is used to make red wine in Bordeaux, the Loire and south west France, where it is grown under a number of different names. It is known as Pressac in Bordeaux, Auxerrois in Cahors and C�t in the Loire. In Argentina, it's adopted land, Malbec has been grown in quantity and is now successfully exported around the world. The grape can create both fruit-driven, plummy-like characteristics, but in Cahors it tends to gamey aromas and has quite considerable ageing potential. A mid-season ripener in Bordeaux, Malbec can bring very deep colour and ample tannins to create a great base for blended wines. It is also planted in New Zealand, Chile, California and Australia where it is used in blends rather than as a single varietal wine.

Merlot

Merlot makes luscious, smooth and fruity wines. In spite of this, it�s still perceived as one of the vine world�s great underdogs, most often being unfavourably compared to prized Cabernet Sauvignon, its more austere and frequent blending partner. Planted throughout South West France and much of the rest of the world, Merlot means �little blackbird� in Bordeaux patois, and was so-called because it was said that it�s the grape the blackbird guzzles first and that the bird�s colour resembles the grapes. It produces its most glorious wines in St-Emilion and Pomerol, on the right bank of the Gironde, including Bordeaux�s most expensive wine, Chateau Petrus. Chile's soft plum aromas are a favourite to many consumers. Merlot can adapt to a wide range of soils and microclimates, but it buds, flowers and ripens relatively early, so spring frosts are a danger. Its thin-skinned grapes are also liable to rot in wet vintages. However, Merlot�s lowish fruit tannins make it an excellent early-drinking wine.

Muscadelle

Petit Manseng

Petit Verdot

The qualitatively excellent Petit Verdot is one of Bordeaux�s classic varieties and has been established in the Medoc probably longer than Cabernet Sauvignon. However, it is no longer planted in any great quantity due to the fact that it ripens so late that in poorer years it doesn't ripen at all. Its other problem is that it is an irregular cropper, which makes it expensive to produce. Having said that, when everything works well, this thick-skinned black grape can produce concentrated, deeply coloured, spicy and tannic wines that are capable of ageing. Such desirable characteristics have found admirers among some of the quality-conscious chateaux and, as a result, it is enjoying a small revival. Traditionally, it has been planted more in the southern Medoc than the north where the soils and, therefore, the wines are lighter and some Petit Verdot in the blend adds deep colour and richness. In recent years other countries, such as Australia, California, Spain and Chile, have been experimenting with Petit Verdot and even using it as a dominant variety. Typically, it can give the flavours of violets, earth, leather, smoke and cigar box, along with the spice, mineral and peppery tones and the mouth-gripping tannins. In France it goes by a few other names � Petit Verdau, Verdot Rouge and Carmelin - and in Chile it�s called just Verdot.

Sauvignon Blanc

Grassy and herbaceous, with the characteristics of gooseberries, nettles and cat�s pee � this can only be referring to one grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc. The grape has its origins in Bordeaux but is now widely cultivated over France and around much of the world. Think of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre from the Loire � both these wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc and are, probably, the grape in its purest form: crisp, dry, aromatic and unoaked. In Bordeaux, it�s blended, particularly with Semillon, for the dry whites there, but it�s also an ingredient for the region�s luscious dessert wines, such as those of Sauternes and Barsac. On the other side of the world, however, New Zealand has also virtually made this white variety its own, giving the wine a screwcap along the way. Yet this fashionable grape does have its faults. For one, unblended, it doesn�t age. Wines made from Sauvignon Blanc are generally meant to be drunk young, but then that can also be a bonus � as soon as you�ve bought a bottle, you can just chill this zesty little number and enjoy it! On the growing front, it�s susceptible to botrytis, oidium and black rot and will also rot if grown on fertile soils, preferring gravelly or sandy loams, or chalk in parts of the Loire. It also tends to be very vigorous and if it�s allowed to become over-productive on heavy soils, then the characteristics of the wines will be much diluted. Sauvignon Blanc goes by a few other names, the most common probably being Fume Blanc, as it�s known in California.

Semillon

Semillon is a golden grape variety, which can, in the right places, produce great wine. It is grown over much of the world, but is most heavily planted in France, particularly in the appellations in the south west. It excels in white Bordeaux, as part of a blend. Think great, long-lived, dry Graves and the delicious dessert wine Sauternes � and, of course, the sweet bliss Chateau d�Yquem uses Semillon grapes. On the other side of the world, Semillon also proves what a star it is in Australia�s Hunter Valley when it�s allowed to mature in good vintages. This vigorous grower produces thin-skinned grapes which are inclined, if the weather conditions are right, to develop botrytis, the noble rot which is necessary for the unctuous sweet wines. If Semillon is allowed to fully ripen and is sparsely cropped and grown somewhere not too hot then this grape produces highly alcoholic and extracted wine with relatively low aroma and acidity. Semillon has a lemony character when young but this grape lends itself to oak and ageing to become a deep golden-coloured wine with a rich lanolin flavour, often referred to as �waxy�. However, on the negative side, the wines tend to fatness and have little aroma in youth. This is the reason Sauvignon Blanc is Semillon�s traditional blending partner because its qualities of high acidity and strong aroma fill the gaps. More recently, however, Semillon has been blended with other varieties � Chardonnay became an obvious choice in the early nineties when everybody wanted a glass of the stuff. Outside France, it�s biggest plantings are in Chile, but vines are also found in such countries as Argentina, New Zealand, the USA and South Africa. In fact, in 1822, 93 per cent of South Africa�s vineyards were Semillon, imported from Bordeaux. It was so common then that it was just called Wyndruif or �wine grape�. Subsequently, it became Green Grape because of its foliage, but its importance has declined since and now it represents only a tiny area of vineyard. Semillon also goes by a few other names, including, in France, Semillon Blanc, Malaga and Colombier.

Tannat

Tannat is a red wine grape historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC, and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay where it is considered the national grape. Tannat is now planted in Argentina, Australia , Brazil and California, Oregon and Virginia in the US, and even in southern Italy’s Puglia region where it is used as a blending grape. The Tannat vines growing in the America’s are subtly different from those found in modern-day French vineyards because the oldest of them are direct descendants of the pre-phylloxera cuttings taken across the Atlantic in the 9th century. The net effect of this is that Uruguayan Tannat is slightly lower in the tannins for which Madiran has long been known. The reason why the new French clones produce more powerful wine is simply that they have been engineered that way to cater to modern consumer preferences. Tannat has a high natural acidity and aggressive tannins. Modern Madiran producers are experimenting with various techniques to increase the suppleness of their wines using microbullage a process developed in the 1990s by which oxygen is trickled slowly through the wine while in tank or even in barrel during fermentation. Oak aging is also increasingly used to bring complexity and a subtle vanilla sweetness to Madiran’s Tannat wines. Traditionally Tannat is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Der Servadou. Modern French Tannat is characterized by its firm tannin structure, deep colour, high alcohol and its ability to age well. The aroma profile is gently tarry and redolent of stewed red berries (warm raspberry jam sums this up well). When used to make rosé wines (in Irouleguy) the Tannat grapes undergo a strictly limited maceration period to prevent the leaching of undesirable tannin levels. Despite this short skin contact, the resulting wines are typically full bodied and very fruity. In Bearn both reds and rosés employ Tannat alongside the increasingly rare Manseng Noir (the dark-skinned form of Petit Manseng) and Petit Courbu. Synonyms include: Maidiran, Harriague, Moustrou, Bordeleza Beltza.

Ugni Blanc

White grape variety also known as Trebbiano Toscano and Clairette Ronde. Originated in Tuscany central Italy exported to France in the fourteenth century where it was given the name Ugni Blanc. It was first cultivated in in Provence then Languedoc and later in the Charente and the Charente Maritime where it found it's favoured spot. The name Ugni comes from the Provencal dialect uni meaning early grape. Late budding and therefore not at risk to spring frosts. Mid to late ripening but often picked earlier to retain its high acidity. Vigorous high yielding and adaptable to a range of sites and training methods but best trellised as sensitive to wind. Trebbiano Toscano is widely planted throughout the world. Wines tend to be light, fresh and unremarkable due to abundant yields. Neutral nature and high acidity make it an ideal candidate for distillation. Ugni Blanc is the most widely planted white wine variety in France because of its distilling properties. Total French plantings in 2009 were 83,892 ha. with the bulk of plantings in the Charente and the Charente-Maritime. predominately for the production of cognac although it also goes into Vin de Pays du Gers and Cotes de Gascogne.