Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with Chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the world's noble grape varieties. The principal grape in many Bordeaux wines, it is grown in most of the world's wine regions, although it requires a long growing season to ripen properly and gives low yields. Many of the red wines regarded as among the world's greatest, such as Red Bordeaux, are predominantly made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. World-class examples can improve for decades, and remain drinkable for a century.

The particularly thick skin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape results in wines that can be high in tannin which provides both structure and ageability. This varietal, while frequently aromatic and with an attractive finish, also tends to lack mid-palate richness and so is often blended with lower tannin, but "fleshy" tasting grapes, particularly Merlot and, especially in Australia, Shiraz / Syrah. Cabernet Franc is often used in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon to add aromatics. As a group, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are generally full-flavored, with a stronger flavor than Merlot for instance, and with a smooth and lingering "finish". One of the most characteristic aromas of warm-climate examples is cassis (blackcurrant), while cherry and other red berry notes are not uncommon. Cooler-climate examples often reveal greener, herbaceous notes, such as eucalyptus or green pepper/capsicum. There is, however, a great deal of variation in flavor depending on the region, winemaking technique, seasonal weather, and bottle age. Nonetheless the wines retain a remarkable ability to be recognizably Cabernet.

Cabernet Sauvignon, like all noble wine grape varieties, is of the species Vitis vinifera, and genetic studies in the 1990s indicated it is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Around the world

Bordeaux

The grape is strongly associated with the great red wines of Bordeaux, such as those of the Médoc, where it is blended with varying quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Although Cabernet Sauvignon will more often than not be the biggest single variety in the top Bordelais wines, its overall use is usually no more than 50 percent of the wine. Elsewhere in France it is used in varying quantities in several Roussillon wines, though generally in an attempt to imitate the wines of its Bordeaux neighbour.

Italy

Traditionally, Italian wine-makers have long regarded the Cabernet Sauvignon grape with suspicion, despite a long history there, and appears in very few of Italy's DOCs. In Tuscany in the 1970s however, a number of top winemakers deliberately introduced Cabernet Sauvignon into their wines, despite knowing that it fell outside of the DOC system, and produced the top class wines that are often known as "Super Tuscans".

United States

California is, after Bordeaux, the world's largest grower of Cabernet Sauvignon, most notably in the Napa Valley and warmer AVAs of Sonoma County. In California the area of Cabernet Sauvignon planted doubled in the 1990s, precipitously lowering prices and disrupting the health of the wine industry. As in Bordeaux, it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc to produce world-class wines. More commercial versions may be blended with Ruby Cabernet or other varietals that provide more structure and richness than Cabernet Sauvignon can provide. The grape has also found a home in Washington, though it requires the warmest vineyards such at the Red Mountain AVA in the lower Yakima Valley for it to ripen fully.

Other New World Producers

The grape's most notable success over the past decade has been its use in the wines of the "New World". The consistently optimal climates (more so than in Europe), strong investment and innovative winemaking techniques have allowed countries such as Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia to produce very good and at times, outstanding, quality Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines at competitive prices.

Aroma

Cabernet Sauvignon has a well defined aroma. In Old World wines, particularly those made in Bordeaux, this is characterised by a smell of violets, blackcurrant, cedar and spice. New World wines of this grape can often share the aromas of their Old World counterparts, but are more often dominated by aromas of chocolate, ripe jammy berries, oak, pepper and earth. In Australia, there is often a strong smell of eucalyptus, particularly in wines made in Coonawarra.

References

LAROUSSE Encyclopedia of WINE, Hamlyn, 2001, ISBN 0600604756

External links

Cabernet Sauvignon Grape - Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Information Page.

Grape varieties

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