Page "Syrah" Paragraph 18

In the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, most Hermitage wine that left France did so as a blending component in Bordeaux wines.

In an era when " clarets " were less powerful than today, and before appellation rules, red wines from warmer regions would be used for improvement ( or adulteration, depending on the point of view ) of Bordeaux wines.

While Spanish and Algerian wines are also known to have been used for this purpose, top Bordeaux châteaux would use Hermitage to improve their wines, especially in weaker vintages.