The red wines of Bordeaux are always blended, comprising of between two to five “black grape” varieties - though most wines made from three or four of the five varieties. The percentage of each grape variety used in a particular red Bordeaux wine may differ from one year to the next depending on the climate, and how well each variety had fared during the growing season. The percentage also varies between estates.

The five grape varieties used in red Bordeaux are:

• Cabernet Sauvignon (cab er nay so vee nyohn)
• Merlot (mer loh)
• Cabernet Franc (cab er nay frahn)
• Petit Verdot (peh tee vair doe)
• Malbec (mahl bec)

The dominant variety in virtually all red Bordeaux wines is either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot; while Cabernet Franc is the third most widely used variety, followed by Petit Verdot and Malbec. Red Bordeaux could turn out quite differently depending on whether Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot is utilized as the dominant grape variety.