Which bank are you on?

The Guild’s Wines of the World evening on 21 October was about Bordeaux blends, and whether ours can stand next to the French, the Italians and the Americans. Justin van Wyk, the winemaker at Constantia Glen, presented the tasting and brought his own Constantia Glen 5 as one of the South African wines, in a line-up that averaged more than R900 a bottle.

A Bordeaux blend is made from the grape varieties typical of the Bordeaux region in south-western France. The red blends are built mainly on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, often with smaller amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec and now and then Carménère, and they are known for their structure, their depth and how well they age.

The part I had no idea about was the banks. Left Bank wines are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with firm tannins and dark fruit, while Right Bank wines are Merlot-led and come out softer and rounder, with plum and red berry in the glass. I would have guessed north and south if anyone asked, so I learned something. That probably means I’m not proper Guild material yet, but it is a good reason to keep going back.

My own Vivino ratings have a view on the Guild’s question. The South African Bordeaux blends I have rated average 3.7, against 3.5 for the Bordeaux reds from France, so on my palate the Cape is already slightly ahead. The single grapes lean the same way: South African Merlot sits at 3.6 and South African Cabernet Sauvignon at 3.1. By the Guild’s description, that makes me a Right Bank drinker who never knew there was a Right Bank.

Background: Wine Tasters’ Guild of South Africa tasting notes.