These criteria are very specific to each property, and depend on perception and the owner's objectives. The choice to create certain blends will not only depend on the division of existing appellations within the property and the size of the plots in each of them, but also qualitative and economic objectives, and even philosophical objectives, that the winemaker has set for themselves, which naturally lead to the selection of certain batches within a given appellation.
These choices will result in the different wines produced by the property and therefore the various wine profiles.
Once these parameters have been established, it will be necessary to determine the optimal time to carry out the blending and the best way of doing this.
The following five factors can be summarized as determining the principles of blending:
- Grape varieties
- Vine age
- Geographical location (climate, diseases)
- Plot characteristics (size, topography, history)
- Plant material in place
To optimize quality, it is first necessary to determine the batches that may have unique quality profiles and vinify them separately.
It is the plot complexity within the same appellation that will predetermine these batches, through the above-mentioned five criteria.
In the case of a homogeneous plot of limited size, as is the case for certain plots at Domaine d'Eugénie, the blending work will most often be limited to reincorporation or not of the press wines, and in what proportions for each appellation.
Within the given appellation, a property may have fairly scattered plots (as at Château Latour) which automatically justifies carrying out separate vinifications (the five criteria's impact), or plots in a more restricted area (as at Clos de Tart and Château Grillet) but where the overall profile presents such variations (topology, geology, vine age, etc.) that it is logical to consider separate homogeneous batches. For more details, see the section on Harvests.
It is then up to each property to define its blending strategy in accordance with the specifications of its own appellation. There are two main options:
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One or more labels within the same appellation
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Decide to use the fall-back appellation (or even leave the appellation hierarchy altogether) for certain batches.