In the U.S. we are very varietal oriented. Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. while there are many excellent blends being made, and some very exclusive, we are still loyal to the varietal. By Washington state law, to name a wine by a varietal, it must be at least 75% of that varietal. Most varietal wines I enjoy have much more than that, perhaps 90% +. Wine makers do blend some wine from other varietals into the bottle to achieve a complexity, balance and taste that the varietal by itself may not have. But there's nothing wrong with that. Case in point, Rob Griffin has another special treat for his wine club members this month... a bottle of 2005 Malbec and a bottle of 2004 Touriga. In the new world, Malbec is now known as the wine of Argentina and Touriga Nacional is the wine of Portugal. I have already sampled the Malbec, and not being an expert, I still think it is quite good and will probably get better in bottle. As soon as I have a sample of the Touriga, I...
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