It is often
said that the cabernet sauvignon grape makes the biggest or manliest wine on
the planet. Political correctness aside the physical nature of cabernet tends
to be robust, angular and tannic in youth and while it mellows with age even
the finest cabernet sauvignon seldom melts in your mouth the way merlot or
pinot noir eventually will.
Cabernet
sauvignon gained its fame in the Bordeaux region of France, primarily in and
about the Médoc and more specifically on the left bank in the communes of St.
Estephe, St. Julien and Pauillac. Think Latour, Mouton, Lafite, Les Cases,
Montrose and many more. The grape has been cultivated for centuries in Bordeaux
although its origins have only recently been discovered to have arisen
spontaneously between a field cross of cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc
sometime prior to the 17th century.
If Bordeaux
set the historical standard for cabernet sauvignon, the rest of the world has
taken quick advantage of the grape’s ability to adapt to new sites and
climates. The vine itself is extremely vigorous but growth is easily controlled
by intelligent selection of rootstock, soil type, planting density and canopy
management. As shaded fruit tends to produce wine that is more vegetal and more
acidic, trellising and canopy training methods to expose the fruit to more
light are important to developing cabernet’s full fruit flavour and ripe
tannins.
Cabernet grape
bunches grow best in well-drained loam or gravel/loam soils on hillsides. The
tough skin variety grows in mostly loose clusters with large pips and has a
relatively high skin to juice ratio. This results in wines high in tannin and
colour. On the minus side, it is a late ripener that requires added warmth and
growing time to develop fully ripe tannins and fruit flavours. Yet, if
subjected to too much heat cabernet can become overripe, displaying less
agreeable jammy, stewed fruit and prune characters. But it’s when perfectly
ripened that cabernet reaches a level of harmony and balance that makes it a
legend among red wine grapes.
The best
cabernet has abundant but soft tannins with concentration and flavour
complexity. Winemakers strive to achieve blackberry, cassis, black cherry and
jam fruit flavours with black pepper and spice characters. Often, there is a
light overlay of herbal qualities such as ripe olives and mint; not the
undesirable green bell pepper, asparagus, green bean components often found in
less ripe cabernet. Oak barrels add extra spice, clove, vanillin and toasted
flavours. When fully aged, cabernet develops sublime bottle bouquets of cedar,
tobacco, violets, spices, soya, blackberry, mint and licorice.
Despite its
backward youth, it almost always gains a measure of complexity and elegance most
other wines simply cannot match with age. To wit there are examples still
drinking well from the last century.
Since the
mid-1800s, cabernet has spread its roots, first across Europe and then on to
most New World vineyards. Consequently, cabernet sauvignon is the most widely
transplanted red grape, with a presence in almost every major growing region of
the world.
The lighter
and more modern styles, such as those from Chile and Australia, place more of
an emphasis on fruit flavours and softer tannins. This makes them more
drinkable at a young age than traditional Bordeaux or some of the more serious
examples from California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County and Australia’s
Coonawarra region. The best strive to combine finesse and power with ripe
tannins and fruit, making them attractive in their youth but with excellent
potential to age.
Today we offer
you a look at 10 cabernet sauvignons sure to take the edge off the final few
cold nights of spring while playing the perfect partner to a grilled steak. All
should be available in local B.C. Liquors stores.
J. Lohr
Cypress Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 California, $18
Smoky cherry
and vanilla licorice root nose with sweet cherry cedar bark flavours. It’s
sweet and soft enough to appeal to most.
Alamos
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Mendoza, Argentina $17
Soft and round
with plenty of spicy red currant, sappy cassis fruit flavours with some cedar,
coffee and leather notes. Rustic but easily tamed by some grilled beef.
Sumac Ridge
Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sage Vineyard 2004 Okanagan Valley, $20
Soft, supple
palate with roasted coffee beans, char, peppery, tar, cassis, cranberry, black
olive, tobacco leaf flavours. Ready to drink.
Angus The
Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Australia $20
Look for
richness on the palate with blueberry/cassis fruit and leafy tobacco
undercurrents. A solid barbecue red.
Doña Paula
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Ugarteche District, Luján de Cuyo, Argentina $22
Reminiscent of
a ripe Bordeaux from Pauillac with big cassis jam, peppery, blackberry,
licorice and tobacco flavours. The finish mixes savoury coffee vanilla and
leather.
Kendall-Jackson
Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner’s Reserve 2003 California $23
K-J Reserve is
50 per cent Sonoma sourced, the rest is a split between Mendocino and Napa. The
entry is smooth with cassis and black fruit and spicy, earthy cedar and
blackcurrant flavours.
Rodney
Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Sonoma County, California $27
Round,
elegant, lean-ish tannins with mocha, cedar pepper, smoky, resin, cassis
flavours. Lots of smoky, resin oak on the finish with a meaty note.
Torres Mas
La Plana 2001 Penedès, Catalunya, Spain $50
The flavours
are laced with black pepper, garrigue, cassis jam with a long, refined minty,
briary finish. Love the elegance here.
Signorello
Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Napa Valley, California $60
Supple
fine-grained tannins that are among the softest we’ve seen from the winery,
with chocolate, cassis jam, mocha flavours. A fine effort at fair price.
Kenwood
Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series 2001Sonoma County, California $75
Soft, round
and dry on entry with earthy, tobacco, smoky, vanilla, cassis, cardamom
flavours. Tight, dry finish with some tannin to shed.
Anthony
Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver,
British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto
www.gismondionwine.com
