Cabernet Sauvignon Flashcards
What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from California ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry, full-bodied, high alcohol and with high levels of soft, ripe tannins. The wines are aged in oak.
Flavours: Deeply coloured with ripe dark cherry, blackcurrant and oak flavours of vanilla, smoke and cedar.
The very best Cabernet Sauvignon wines come from Rutherford and Oakville in Napa Valley. They can usually fetch up to premium prices.
What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile ?
Climate: Moderate (influenced by the Andes and proximity to the ocean)
Style: Dry, full-bodied, with high levels of soft, ripe tannins. The wines are aged in oak.
Flavours: Pronounced herbal characteristics of green bell pepper and blackcurrant leaf accompany intense black fruit flavours of black cherry and blackberry. There are oak characteristics of cedar and coffee.
The very best Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Maipo Valley, and Colchagua and Cachapoal which are parts of the Rapel Valley. They can usually fetch up to premium prices.
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What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from France ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry, medium to full-bodied, medium alcohol with high acidity and tannin for the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wines. The wines are aged in new oak barrels.
Flavours: Blackcurrant, black cherry and toasty fragrant oak when young develop into vegetal, tobacco and cedar as the wine ages.
In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is at home and the very best wines come from the Cru Classé Châteaux. These are among the world’s most complex long-lived red wines and tend to fetch up to premium prices.
What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa ?
Climate: Moderate to hot
Style: Dry, full-bodied, with high levels of tannin and acidity. The wines are aged in oak.
Flavours: Herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, blackcurrant fruit, black cherry and toasty fragrant oak when young develop into vegetal, tobacco and cedar as the wines age.
The very best Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Stellenbosch. Cabernet Sauvignon is also blended with Merlot for elegant Bordeaux-style wines. These wines are priced up to the premium price category.
What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry, full-bodied, with high levels of soft, ripe tannins and an intense structure. The wines are aged in oak.
Flavours: Cassis, mint and eucalyptus flavours, with blackcurrant, black cherry, cedar, toast and vanilla oak.
There are two key regions in Australia for Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra - the wines have distinctive cassis, mint and eucalyptus flavours and Margaret River - these wines show more black fruit and herb flavours. The wines are usually priced up to the premium price category.
What can we expect of a Cabernet Sauvignon from New Zealand ?
Climate: Moderate
Style: Dry, medium to full-bodied, with high acidity and tannins. The wines are aged in oak.
Flavours: Black cherry, blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf with aromas of cedar and vanilla.
Hawke’s Bay is where Cabernet Sauvignon ripens in New Zealand. It is often blended with Merlot and the wines can fetch up to premium prices.
What are the key facts of Cabernet Sauvignon ?
- It is an aromatic red grape variety producing full bodied wines
- Aromas are distinctive of blackcurrant, black fruit, generally oaked
- It needs a moderate or hot climate to ripen fully
- Wines can be single varietal or blended with Merlot and many other varieties
- Price and quality ranges from inexpensive to premium and acceptable to outstanding.
