Cabernet Sauvignon Flashcards
Terroir of CS
Bordeaux
When on left bank (CS)
Cabernet is dominant blend, blended with cabernet franc and merlot
On right bank… (CS)
Merlot is dominant with 70 percent
Colour of CS
Classic is dark purplish, ruby red
Nice deep colour is distinctive because it’s got very thick skins
Nose of Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Fruit)
Cassis: blackcurrant, black cherry, plum
Is it herbaceous? And what notes? (CS)
BP
Yes, bell pepper, vegetal notes. Herbaceousness and leafiness characterises CS.
Especially if underripe and from very cool climate (it is descended from Sauvignon blanc after all)
Misc notes on the nose (CS)
(O… cho… black p… sometimes l… , … ced
Black olives, chocolate, green bean, black pepper
Sometimes liqorice or anise, pencil cedar
Earthy notes? (CS)
Tea, leather
When oaked? (CS)
Vanilla, smoky char
When from warmer regions what notes? (CS)
Jamminess - black and red fruit flavours
When overripe, notes? (CS)
Raisin, prune, fruit leather notes
On the palate? -Acidity (CS)
Moderate acidity, always adequate
Tannins? (CS)
Firm
Bitter? (CS)
Yes if grapes are picked underripe or wine is too young
What is important in a Cabernet Sauvignon? (CS)
Tannin Balance where assertive flavours are in balance
French term for well-built/structured
Bien Charpenté
When is a Cabernet Sauvignon a complete, serious wine?
Firm slightly rough mouth feel
What foods does it beg for? (CS)
Complex and savoury
What are Cabernet Sauvignon’s most distinctive scents? (CS)
Blackcurrant and cedar
Body of Cabernet Sauvignon
5/5 - Full as it gets
Tannin/Acidity/Sweetness of Cabernet Sauvignon
AS firm as it gets
2/5
1/5
Is CS an early ripening grape?
No, which is why it is a waste to plant in cold areas and it is often blended with Merlot as insurance
CS Descriptors
Intense, full-bodied, Dark fruit, tannic
CS Flavours
Blackcurrant, leather, tobacco, cedar
Is CS aged, and does it benefit?
Yes benefits from Aging in a small oak barrel
Does CS prefer warm climate?
Yes, requires a warm climate with a long ripening period to coax out its best characteristics (pure, ripe, dark cassis Flavor, lush yet precise, with distinct inactive tobacco flavours)
