Cabernet Sauvignon Flashcards
What is the origin of Cabernet Sauvignon
Southwest France
Cab-Sauv whats the grid generally speaking
Grid and flavours
Aroma=Pronounced black fruits & Herbal aromas
Acid=High Acidity
Tannin=High
Body=Medium to Full
Flavours
* Blackcurrent
* Blackberry
* Cherry
* Mint
* Green Capsicum
*Warm climtates can be cooked fruit
Why is Cabernet ageworthy
- it has lot of fruit flavours
- high acid
- high tannins
All making this an ageworthy wine.
(Think Pauilac)
What climate does Cabernet like
Moderate and Warm Climates
What kind of skin does Cabernet have?
Thick skin
What kind of growing season does cabernet need to fully ripen
Long warm growing season
What grape is Cabernet blended with and why
- Merlot
- Can soften high levels of tannin and acid
- Especially important in cooler vintages and moderate climates where it may struggle to fully ripen
Why is Cabernet Sauvignon usually matured in Oak
- Newly ferments Cab is highly tannin and can be unpleasant
- Maturation in oak softens the tannins due to oxadive nature of the oak barrell.
- New oak also imparts complex and desirable secondary aromas. (Vanila-Clove-Smoke-Cedar)
Why is tannin/acid important in Cabernet and what happens over time in the bottle?
- Tannin and acid act as a natural preservative allowing it to be ageworthy
- Very good and outstanding wines can age for a very long time
- Tannins soften, complex tertiary aromas develop with long periods of bottle ageing
Name 5 Bordeaux AOC’s that are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant
Left Bank
- Pauillac
- Margaux
- Haut Medoc
- Graves
- Pessac-Leognan
What type of soil is typically found on the left bank and why is it good
- Gravel
- Drains well after heavy rain
- Retains heat into the evening helping the cabernet ripen
When is more Merlot added to Bordeaux blends
- On cooler vinatges the cabernet can struggle to fully ripen.
- In these years the % of Merlot is usually increased
What is the other wine region called for Cabernet from France
South France
Languedoc-Roussillion
What are the wines labelled from the Languedoc-Rousillion
- Pays d’Oc IGP
Where are you more likley to find single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon in France and why?
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Its warmer here so Cabernet can fully ripen
- The climate is more reliably warm and less variable than Bordeaux
- Cab blends come from this region as well
What does Chateau indicate on a label
Indicatesd that the wine has been made from grapes grown on the land rather than bought in.
What is Cru Bourgeois and what region can you apply for it?
Wines from the Medoc that are not Grande Cru classe can apply to use the term on their labels.
Not as high price but useally Very Good to Outstanding wines
Other important Cabernet Sauvignon regions in the world
- USA
- Chile
- Australia
- South Africa
- New Zealand
What are the two main regions that grow Cabernet in the USA
- Napa Valley
- Sonoma
What are the sub regions of Napa
- Oakville
- Rutherford
- Calistoga (North-Chateau Montalena)
Nappa Valley climate?
season
- Warm and sunny
- Long growing season
- Ideal for ripening Cab Sauv
Nappa Cab wine style?
nose-tannin-body-ripest area
- Pronounced ripe black fruits
- High ripe tannins
- Full bodied
- Calistogia riper and more full bodied
Sonoma can produce some powerfull wines but they are usually?
blended with sall quantity of another grape
Cabernet labelled California is?
- Usually a blend
- Comes from the central valley
- Low quality wines
- Sometime with oak from chips/staves
Chiles broader region for Cabernet Sauvignon
- Central Valley
Name 3 of Chiles sub regions of the Central valley that are important to Cabernet
- Maipo Valley
- Colchagua Valley
- Central Valley
Chile is producing some very good to outstanding quality Cabernet Sauvignon along the foothills of the Andes. What qualities do these wines have
- Distinctive Mint and Green capsicum characteristics
- Black fruits
- Oak flavours
Is Chile making single varietal cab sauv and merlots.
True or false
True
Which area in South Africa is known for its Cabernet Sauv
Stellenbosch
What is the terrain in Stellenbosh and climate
- mountainous
- Varies from moderate to warm depending on the vineyard altitude
*
Stellenbosh Cabernet styles?
Fruit-Body-Alcohol
Ranges from
* Fresh and herbal
TO
* Full boddied with cooked fruits and high alcohol
What 2 regions are known for high quality cab sauv in australia
- Margaret River
- Coonawarra
