Cabernet Sauvignon
Physical Characteristics
- Little requirements for soil type
- needs heat to ripen
- Susceptible to mildew
- Thick skins provide protection against diseases
Winemaker Choices
- Same thick skins allow for errors in handling
Remontage as cap management
- Warm fermentation extracts lots of color and tannin
- Wine then needs aging to mellow tannin and color
Regions
- Left Bank Bordeaux
Blended wines with Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Considered benchmark for Cabernet
Classification of 1855
New World Regions
- Napa
Developed fruit forward style
- Australia
Special terra rossa soils
- Most transportable of all red grapes
Styles
- Young wines are dark and inky
- Nose:
Cedar or pencil shaving notes
- Palate
Concentrated fruit and long finish
Not much on middle palate
- Location determines some flavor notes
- Unripe has notes of green bell peppers
- Bordeaux--jam on hot rocks
- Napa--sweet hay or alfalfa
- Australia--eucalyptus
- Aged wines get brickish toward rim
Pairing Suggestions
- Meat wine
Umami helps soften tannins
Old world styles better with rich food due to higher acidity
New world styles better with simpler dishes because of low acid and more fruit flavors.