Loved for it's high intensity & body, the age worthy Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtably the world’s most popular red wine grape. It's the most planted wine grape in the world.
A high yield grape, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to product 3 times more grapes per acre than other grapes like Pinot Noir.
TASTE PROFILE
A natural cross between Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon is high tannin & rich flavor make it a perfect partner for grilled red meats & peppery sauces. Expect deep dark notes of cherry & blackcurrant, with savory & smoky notes depending on the winemaking style and region.
Due to it's parent Cabernet Franc, it has higher levels of Methoxypyrazine, the cause of "green" herbal notes like sage, peppercorn, & bell pepper, which give it a savory profile, similar to a Carmenere & Malbec
The high tannin in Cabernet Sauvignon makes it a great pairing for fatty foods, like a steak or lamb rack. Look for fatty foods with umami flavors. Steaks, hamburgers, salami, or grilled vegetables like mushrooms, eggplant & peppers. Look for firm complex cheeses like Gruyere or aged Cheddar.
WINEGROWING REGIONS
Grown all over the world, it inevitably has a variety of profiles, performing best on regions with gravel soils. What's interesting is that these Cabs grow well even in dry climates, as proven by China's Gobi Desert & Washington USA growing quality Cab Sauvs despite recieving very little rainfall.
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
The "OG", it produces savory & age worthy expressions of the grape, with more prominent notes of licorice, tobacco & violet than fruit. Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignons are lighter & more elegant than most, while still providing strong tannin & acidity to create a long finish. Mostly blended with Merlot to create the famous Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauv dominant wines come mostly from Medoc or Graves.
Common blends: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménère
Plum aromas are unique to Bordeaux
NAPA VALLEY & SONOMA, CALIFORNIA, USA
The Judgement of Paris will prove to you that this region produces great wine outside of Bordeaux. Expect a more fruit forward wine from California & other new world regions, with vanilla replacing your tobacco notes. Slight lower tannins & acidity, Napa wines have become the forefront of punchy Cabs, and they've been known to trim the leaves off vines to increase sun exposure & promote ripening of the grapes.
Mint aromas are unique to this region
COONAWARRA, AUSTRALIA
Bay leaf & white pepper aromas are unique to this Australian region, due to the especially sun facing & warm climate here.
Common blends: Shiraz (Syrah)
MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE
Known for great value Cab Sauvs, the location of Maipo Valley between the cooling Pacific Ocean breezes and hot, inland Andes Mountains produces one of the most ideal Mediterranean climates for Cabernet Sauvignon
TUSCANY, ITALY
Super Tuscans are a result of frustration towards bureaucracy in Italian wine laws. Made up of blends of non-indegenous graps like Cab Sauv, Merlot & Syrah, these "unsanctioned" wines led to the creation of the IGT designation, with the first being Antinori's Tignanello.
Common blends: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz (Syrah)