Assemblage

Assemblage is the French word for the art of composing a finished wine from several components. These can be different grape varieties, but also the same grape from different vineyards, soils or altitudes, or wine that has fermented and aged in its own way, for example some in steel tank and some in barrel. The winemaker tastes through the individual parts and decides how they should be blended to achieve the balance, depth and freshness that best suits the wine. In this way the whole often becomes more harmonious and nuanced than the individual parts would be on their own.

It matters for what you taste, because a well-considered assemblage can lift both aroma and structure. One grape can give fruit, another acidity or minerality, and a third body and length. On the label you often see it when several grapes are named, or when a white wine brings together several local varieties to show the character of an area. The result can vary from year to year depending on the harvest.

A widespread misunderstanding is that a blended wine should be less fine than a wine made from a single grape. That is not true. Many classic wines, both still and sparkling, are built precisely on assemblage as a deliberate and demanding choice.