Managing Cabernet Sauvignon

Few, if any, have a suitable space to keep wine for any length of time and, more important, most reportedly consume more than 90 per cent of the wine they buy less than 24 hours after leaving the store.

None of this is news to winemakers, who have been trying for more than two decades to "soften up" their wine to maximize its appeal the moment it splashes into your glass.

The main culprit when it comes to making a wine taste hard or dry is tannin. Tannin resides in the skins and seeds of grapes and it is mostly associated with red wine, because the skins are in contact with the juice for an extended period.

It is that mouth-puckering sensation that causes your cheeks to collapse after a glass of tough red. Like tea left too long to steep, overly tannic wine leaves your palate dry and bitter.

A lot of work has been done of late to modify the severity or dryness of tannins, with the goal of creating a wine with supple textures that is easily sipped with or without food.

One of the more successful techniques in managing tannins includes longer hang-time in the vineyard to promote physiological ripening of the entire grape, with less fixation on picking at a certain sugar level. Better trellising, shoot thinning and leaf plucking allow more sun to get to the grapes to better develop phenols related to softer tannins.

In the cellar, grapes are gently bruised open, rather than crushed. And instead of pumping juice from the bottom of the fermentation tank and gushing it over the skins floating on the surface, a sprinkler device gently rains the juice over the skins, producing a trickle-down effect and extracting only the softest tannins.

Micro-oxygenation is another technique used to soften wine continually with tiny micro-bubblers that remain in the tank or barrel for months.

Today we look at six sexy, supple cabernets, selected from more than 100 tasted this year, that are a product of the new tannin management. We begin with two value-oriented, Argentine examples from Mendoza.

The Trivento Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 has the typical gamy, meaty, smoky, earthy nose, but it's the round, smoky, leather, plum jam flavours that have wide appeal. A touch rustic in style but fine value.

The second Argentine red is the Finca el Retiro Cabernet Sauvignon 2002. Look for a smooth, round, rich style with dry black cherry, licorice, smoky, tobacco flavours. The perfect red for barbecued beef.

A pair of Washington cabernets make the cut, delivering value and flavour. The Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 is round and smooth with chocolate, cassis, smoky pepper, vanilla, spicy olive flavours. This wine has dropped more than $6 in price since the mid-1990s and now offers substantial value.

Its big brother is the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2001. The suave Grand Estates cabernet is made with fruit grown at Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley. Typically, about 10 per cent of the berries remain whole after a gentle crush process, lending the wine a bright fruit character. The flavours are a mix of cherry and chocolate with a whiff of coffee. The textures are smooth and sleek and the acidity well balanced. Easy sipping and fine value.

Two California wines wrap up the tasting. The Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve 2001 is a big step up in flavour from the 2000. The nose is a mix of black pepper, earth, licorice and cassis aromas. The palate is supple, dry with more cassis flavours and a black olive, licorice, blackberry finish. Excellent concentration and lovely mid-palate weight.

Run, do not walk, to your local wine shop and pick up some Bommarito Cabernet Sauvignon 2001. The nose is pretty, the flavours delicious and the price unheard-of for Napa Valley cabernet. Plums, vanilla and cherries all appear in this super ripe, easy-sipping package. There is about 20 per cent merlot in the blend to further contributing to its suave demeanour. Fantastic value.

Wine Trivento Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Mendoza, Argentina
Price  $12.95
UPC   7798039591660
Score 86/100
Remarks    Rustic style but good intensity of flavour.

Wine Finca el Retiro Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Mendoza, Argentina
Price  $13.90
UPC   603770300000514
Score 85/100
Remarks    Beefy style, try with a steak. Fair value

Wine Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Columbia Valley, Washington
Price  $16.99
UPC   088586000720
Score 87/100
Remarks    Substantial value for quality cabernet.

Wine Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Columbia Valley, Washington
Price  $21.99
UPC   088586401848
Score 89/100
Remarks    Smooth and sleek and showing mature bottle flavours.

Wine Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve 2001, California
Price  $24.99
UPC   081584013174
Score 89/100
Remarks    Fine texture and concentration and lovely mid-palate weight.

Wine Bommarito Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Napa Valley, California
Price  $28.99
UPC   011628222019
Score 91/100
Remarks    The nose is pretty, the flavours delicious and the price unheard of.