Chapter 15 Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 1

What are the main characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon?

Answer 1

CS grows in moderate and warm climates, though can struggle to ripen in all but the warmest of sites. Thick skinned containing lots of colour, flavour and tannin. Needs a long warm growing season. A single varietal will be deeply coloured, dry, high in acidity and tannins and medium to full in body. Pronounced black fruit flavours with herbal or herbaceous notes.

Can be found in single varietal but often blended, especially with Merlot. Blending can help to soften CS’s very high tannins and acidity.

France:
Bordeaux. CS dominated blends are common on the Left Bank in areas such as Medoc AOC, Haut-Medoc AOC (which includes Margaux AOC and Pauillac AOC) as well as Graves AOC which includes Pessac-Leognan AOC. long ageing potential.
South of France. Warmer so better able to grow and ripen. Can find single varietal and blends here.

USA:
Napa Valley and Sonoma produce very good and outstanding wines from CS. Warmer climes allow long ripening periods. Full bodied wines with pronounced ripe black fruit flavours and high ripe tannins can be found in the sub regions of Oakville and Rutherford. Sub-region of Calistoga is warmer still: some complex and full bodied wines can be found here.

Chile: CS is Chile’s most widely planted variety. Maipo and Colchagua Valley are important sub regions for CS within the broader Central Valley.

South Africa:
Stellenbosch. A high quality region. Can be single varietal or blended with Merlot, occasionally Pinotage.

Australia:
Margaret River capable of producing high quality CS, sometimes blended with Merlot. Coonawarra can produce very good and outstanding CS.

New Zealand:
Hawkes Bay. CS needs the warmest sites to achieve ripeness, often blended with Merlot.