As you can see now everywhere, there is some major changes in Bordeaux. They are introducing seven new grape varieties in the region but only for AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur.
So if you like your Margaux or St-Estephe now, don’t worry it won’t change at all.
But let’s take a closer look first the four new red grapes because most of them are really rare!
Arinarnoa is a cross between Merlot and Petit Verdot developed by Pierre Marcel Durquety done in 1956. Recently, the DNA parentage analysis at INTRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) demonstrated that it is a cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it’s a grandchild of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a late ripening variety which resists well against grey rot because of their thick skin. It gives a well-structured wine with good acidity and alcohol, with tannins and deep colour. Nowadays you can find wines from Arinaroa in the regions of Languedoc, Provence, Penedés, there is some in Lebanon and even in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
Touriga Nacional is a much more well known variety, we can all see why they chose it due to climate change to be allowed in Bordeaux. One of the finest red grape in Portugal where it has its origin, which gives wines with full-body, great tannic structure, high alcohol and intense flavour profile. It is used in fortified and table wine production well.
Castets comes from in the Aveyron region of France. According to the Cazeaux–Cazalet in 1901 this variety of grape was apparently found in the woods as an obscure variety in the Saint–Macaire region in Gironde which is just next to Bordeaux. It is a super rare variety, only in its region has some plantings but recently it was rediscovered in the old vineyards of Russian River Valley region in California. It gives wines with deep colour, high tannin and alcohol but medium acidity. Wines to be aged.
Marselan is a French wine grape variety that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. It was first bred in 1961 by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) at their Domaine de Vassal station in Marseillan, hence the name. Now you can find significant plantings in Languedoc and it’s allowed in the Cotes du Rhone blends as well. There is almost 200 hectare planted in China and it is getting popular in northern California. The wines made from this grape are deeply coloured with intense aromas of cherry and cassis, medium-bodied with high tannin and a potential to age.
I am very interested what are these changes going to give for the upcoming vintages, I expect even bigger, more aromatic wines even if they are allowed to blend only 10% of these grapes.
What do you think?
