Assemblage is the French term for the blending of different wine lots to create a final wine or cuvée. The components may come from different grape varieties, vineyard parcels, villages, barrels or vintages. The aim is to create a balanced wine with a defined style, rather than simply combining wines at random.
Winemakers taste and evaluate individual lots, then test different proportions to determine how the components work together. One lot may contribute fruit, another acidity, another tannin or structure, and another aromatic complexity. The final blend is assessed for balance, consistency and suitability for the intended wine.
In Bordeaux, assemblage commonly combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and other permitted varieties to build structure and complexity. In Champagne, producers blend base wines from different grapes, vineyard sites and sometimes vintages to create a house style. Non-vintage Champagne often includes reserve wines from previous harvests.
An assemblage may be a blend of grape varieties, vineyard parcels or vintages. A single-variety wine is made predominantly or exclusively from one grape, subject to the relevant appellation and labelling rules. Blending can improve balance and consistency, but a single-variety wine can also express complexity and site character.
Example: a Bordeaux assemblage may use Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, Merlot for body and Cabernet Franc for aromatic lift.
Chef’s note: assemblage is the blending process, while cuvée may refer to the resulting blend or named bottling. The terms overlap but are not identical.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
