Hail to the king! The king of the red wines, that is - cabernet sauvignon. At the head of the class in the hierarchy of red grapes is cabernet. Big and bold with full-flavored body, the wine has strength to last minutes on the palate and years in the bottle. It's the big daddy of the red wines.
How did cabernet sauvignon attain such lofty status?
Its origins go back to one of the royal designations in the wine world: Bordeaux, France. The roots are found on the left bank of the Gironde Estuary in Bordeaux in the regions of Medoc and Graves and date from the 18th century. Some say the grape is the result of a cross-pollination of sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc grapes, although its true origins remain a mystery. Cabernet sauvignon is the wine world's most-planted top variety.
Cabernet is a late-ripening grape and therefore thrives in warmer climates. It prospers in Napa, Calif.; Tuscany, Italy; Coonawarra, Australia; and Elgin, in southeastern Arizona. The berries are small in size and purple in hue. The grapes are high in tannins, pigments and flavor compounds. Black currants are one of the most pronounced flavors in the wines.
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One of the greatest attributes of cabernet sauvignon is its ability to reflect the individual soil (terroir) in which it is grown and to distinguish the vintage growing seasons.
Cabernet sauvignon is blended with merlot, cabernet franc, malbec and petite verdot in varying proportions in Bordeaux to expand the one-dimensional characteristics of the grape into a multilayered wine with power and subtlety. We mimic that blend in the U.S. with wines labeled by the designation "meritage."
The oak and vanilla flavors associated with cabernet-based wines are a result of aging the wine in oak barrels. Cabernet has the ability to absorb oak flavors without being overwhelmed by the oak.
Inexpensive cabernets are more fruit-driven and are less likely to improve with aging. The more expensive versions can be aged or cellared for many years and gain complexity in the process. In time, they will develop complex flavors of leather, tobacco and spices. Decanting is beneficial with these wines to help them open up, or breathe.
Cabernet sauvignon wines require foods with complex flavors to complement the complex components of the wines. Meats, full-bodied cheeses and dark chocolate are well-suited to these wines.
Try the wines from Napa, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Sonoita and Chile to expand your horizons with the cabernet sauvignon grape.
Cheers!
The Wine Column by Jon Rogers appears on alternate Wednesdays in the Food section. He can be reached at jonlrogers@aol.com or 325-0566.