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Cabernet Sauvignon "The King of Grapes"
Just as Sauvignon Blanc is the Noble white grape, Cabernet Sauvignon is the King of the reds. This small grape, with a thick, dark purple skin, hails from the Medoc region of Bordeaux, in the southeastern part of France. It is also famous outside of France, in such growing regions as Napa in California, McLaren Vale in Australia, Maule Valley in Chile and the Stellenbosch area of South Africa. It grows in small, loose, low yielding bunches and thrives on late summers which intensify the flavor of the grape. Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits classic aromas of Cassis, black plums, mint, eucalyptus and in cooler climates, green peppers. The flavors that come from this grape are that of fresh black currants, spice, dark caramel, vanilla and astringent black tea (from the tannins). If this wine is oaked (and it usually is), it will exhibit mineral, cigar box and leather flavors and aromas. When this wine ages (and it does so very well), the fresh black currant flavor turns jammy, the black tea diminishes and you should also be able to pick up subtle notes of game, plum tomato, chocolate and cardamom. This may seem like a lot to take in, but the explanation of this grape, only scratches the surface of the wine it produces. It does very well on its own with age, butblended with other grapes, this nobleman certainly earns the title of King. It adds backbone to whatever it is blended with, from the Merlot and Cabernet Franc (among others) in Bordeaux, to Shiraz in Australia, this powerful grape adds life to everything it touches. Cabernet Sauvignon is truly the king of grapes. It is powerful, evolving with age and has a true presence in the wine world, but like any king, it needs its subjects (the other grapes it blends with) to make the reign complete. Cheers and enjoy responsibly, Jason Ernst |
Our feature wine producer in December is Wynns Estate Winery of Coonawara in Australia. Wynns Coonawara Estate is the oldest winery of this region, dating back to 1891 when John Riddoch planted the first grapes. The winery covers 850 hectares, making it the largest winery in the region. The winemaker's (Sue Hodder) philosophy is to capture the richness and structure of the wonderful grapes that her Coonawara vineyards produce. 2002 Chardonnay Retail price $14.95 This wine has Chardonnay all over it! The light touch of oak provides the wine with structure but isn't overpowering, allowing the true characteristics of its heritage to shine. Expect melon, green apple, peach and citrus flavors with toasty, creamy butterscotch and herbaceous nuances. Enjoy this fantastic specimen of great winemaking with creamy smoked chicken pasta, salmon from the barbecue or Veal with mushrooms. 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Retail price $18.95 The 2000-year in Coonawara was low yielding for the Cabernet grape, thus making this vintage an intensely flavored one. The dark ruby red, almost purple wine shows the true Cabernet Cassis, mint and chocolate flavors with aromas of cigar box, leather and vanilla. This wine cannot be a spur of the moment wine. You must open and decant this monster a good hour before you drink it. If you follow my suggestion, you will enjoy this full-bodied Aussie Cab, if you don't, the intense flavor will knock your taste buds out for the count. You definitely need a good piece of protein for this wine. A nice grilled beef tenderloin or Stilton cheese would be a nice match. |
