Comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the term, Bordeaux red blend, refers to a style of wine originating in the French region of Bordeaux. These grapes, often in conjunction with small amounts Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere, have proven to create a harmonious liaison time and time again. So successful together, the blend is also made in other wine regions worldwide. In France’s Loire Valley and Southwest, Bordeaux blends are common, though the styles don’t typically display the longevity that those from Bordeaux proper do.

In Bordeaux itself, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates wines from the gravel-heavy soils of the Left Bank of the Gironde River, while the clay-rich soils of the Right Bank have incredible success with Merlot. Left Bank wines are typically more tannic and structured, while wines from the Right Bank are softer and suppler. Either way, packed with aromas and flavors of black currant, cedar, plum, graphite and violet, Bordeaux red wines have a structure that lends itself happily to many years of improvement in the cellar. In fact, Bordeaux is a fantastic place to find age-worthy as well as “drink-it-now” reds at incredibly reasonable price points.