quicksearch
If you were given the task to design a grape that would produce some of the world's most long-lived and powerful wines, it seems unlikely that you would think about crossing a white grape with a red grape to accomplish your goals.
Yet that's exactly what scientists have discovered about the origin of cabernet sauvignon -- the king of red wine grapes.
The origin of the cabernet sauvignon grape was a mystery to wine folks until as late as 1997. It was then that scientists at the University of California at Davis, using DNA fingerprinting, discovered cabernet sauvignon was in fact a cross between two French grape varieties -- the red cabernet franc, and surprisingly, the white sauvignon blanc.
In old France it was quite common for vineyards to be inter-planted with a mix of grape varieties (some similar vineyards exist to this day), mostly to protect the grower from a disease or weather mishap that could cause a complete crop failure.
It is believed that at some point, in one of the intermixed vineyards, the fated crossing happened spontaneously, resulting in the cabernet sauvignon grape grown today.
Cabernet vines are extremely vigorous but growth is easily controlled by intelligent selection of rootstock, soil type, planting density and canopy management. As shaded fruit tends to produce wine that is more vegetal and more acidic, trellising and canopy training methods that expose the fruit to more light are important to developing cabernet's full fruit flavour and ripe tannins.
The grape grows best in well-drained loam or gravelly loam soils on hillsides. The grapes are tough-skinned, often loose-clustered with large pips and have a relatively high skin-to-juice ratio. This results in wines high in tannin and colour. The variety is more resistant to rot than most reds and it is very winter-hardy.
On the minus side, it is late ripening and requires added warmth and growing time to develop ripe tannins and fruit flavours. If subjected to too much heat, cabernet can become overripe, displaying less agreeable jammy, stewed fruit and prune characters. Nevertheless, when perfectly mature, cabernet reaches a level of harmony and balance that makes it a legend among red wine grapes.
Today's cabernet picks take you around the globe beginning with some big Argentine values. Despite a price that hasn't tumbled with the Argentine currency, the Norton Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 offers a level of quality you can't quibble about. This is well-made cabernet with tasty, earthy fruit and cassis flavours and just a touch of that gamy leather Argentine character in the finish. It is mature, soft and ready to drink.
It's been a while since I've tasted the entry level Finca Flichman Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, and I had forgotten how good this wine can be. You'll love the spicy, clove, cardamom nose with its dark, smoky, berry fruit undertones. On the palate the fruit is ripe if not a touch sweet with soft, smooth textures throughout. Well balanced and well priced, this is an absolute steal.
Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Selection 2001 comes from the Colchagua valley in Chile and is made by the people who own Grand Marnier. Look for a minty, black-currant, licorice root nose with pepper and herbal undertones. It's big and chewy on the mid-palate with fairly firm tannins and an intense coffee cassis and earthy finish. You can enjoy this now but another two years in bottle will add even more pleasure. Good value.
The Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection 2000 is a fine understated (for California) example of cabernet. It has an open nose of ripe cassis, blackberry, and peppery cedar aromas. Round, soft and elegant it mixes of cassis, pepper, vanilla, and smoky cedar flavours on the palate. An excellent beef wine.
Farther north the Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Barrique Aged 1999, out of Sonoma County, shows intense spicy, cassis jam aromas with hints of prunes, vanilla and cedar. It has an attractive, rich, round styling with moderate tannins and bags of ripe cassis, plummy, smoky vanilla, creamy cola flavours. It's a dry-style red but well balanced. Big value here.
Finally ,from Down Under, Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 hails from the relatively cool, coastal Coonawarra district, about 250 km south of Adelaide. This cabernet is aged in new and old American and French oak for 14 months and comes out of the barrels showing big, dark berry fruit, streaked with floral and mint undertones. Dark berries and mocha chocolate are the theme on the palate with soft tannins at the end. The winery recommends lamb and we agree.
CABERNET SAUVIGNONS FROM ARGENTINA, CHILE, CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA
Wine: Norton Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $14.95
UPC: 7792319656032
Score: 15/20
Comments: Earthy cassis fruit flavours. Good value.
Wine: Finca Flichman Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Mendoza, Argentina
Price: $10.99
UPC: 7790470006512
Score: 15/20
Comments: Spicy clove, cardamom nose with its dark smoky berry fruit.
Wine: Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Selection 2001 Valle del Rapel, Chile
Price: $17.95
UPC: 088110831226
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Minty, black currant, licorice root, coffee and cassis.
Wine: Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Priv. Sel. 2000 Central Coast, California
Price: $19.99
UPC: 0086003061910
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Elegant cassis, pepper, vanilla, and smoky cedar flavours.
Wine: Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Barrique Aged 1999, Sonoma County, California
Price: $21.99
UPC: 082896710133
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Ripe cassis, plummy, smoky vanilla, creamy cola.
Wine: Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, Coonawarra, Australia
Price: $19.99
UPC: 12354052000
Score: 16/20
Comments: Red berry fruit streaked with floral and mint undertones.
