Grape Expectations: Seeing Red
Adam Withrington continues his series on grape varieties with a look at something of a classic red - cabernet sauvignon.
This is the second in a series of features focusing on grape varieties. During the series I will be examining each of the major grapes to see how they can benefit sales in pubs.
I will look at grapes like merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and syrah (or shiraz as it is known in Australia) and analyse how the wines from each major producing country compare.
There is nothing worse than going into a pub, ordering a bottle of red wine to share for the next hour and getting something so heavy it puts you off for life.
Equally some occasions call for a nice full-bodied dark red to be sipped by the fire on a cold winter's night.
It is all about providing the right wine for the right occasion and hopefully this series of articles will help strike this balance.
This month I am looking at the most classic of red wines, cabernet sauvignon.
Adam Withringtonnqnzj@gurchoyvpna.pbz
Oz Clarke believes cabernet sauvignon is "the world's most famous red wine grape". Master of Wine Jonathan Pedley is even more gushing: "It is the great aristocrat of black grape varieties. If chardonnay is a bit of a slapper these days, then cabernet sauvignon has that touch of class about it."
Despite this, the old favourite is not as popular as it once was - it has been losing out to merlot and syrah (or shiraz as it is known in the New World). And this is simply because cabernet sauvignon can be a harder wine to drink. It is one of the most acidic and tannic red wines out there - particularly when it has not had time to mature. Indeed, for hundreds of years Bordeaux winemakers have been blending cabernet sauvignon with merlot to soften up the younger wine.
Jonathan says that this shift from cabernet sauvignon to merlot and shiraz is pronounced and a result of the consumers desire for simpler quaffing wine. "Across the board what I have seen is merlot and shiraz flying out the door.
"This is because they are softer and rounder on the palate and as a result they have stolen the commercial crown from cabernet."
However, no pub should be without a cabernet sauvignon, not least because of its compatibility with good pub grub but also because a wine list needs to provide good range. There will always be consumers who want a little more of a challenge for their taste buds.
- Taste:
The grape is thick skinned and heavily pipped and as a result the colour of the wine is very deep and the taste is often heavy and tannic.
However, a good bottle (and there are many examples out there) is a match made in heaven for lovers of dark berries.
Wine writer Suzy Atkins describes the flavour of cabernet sauvignon as: "well-structured, deeply coloured wine with loads of juicy, sweet blackcurrant and ripe blackberry flavours upfront, followed by layers of fresh mint, chocolate, leather, cedar… serious red."
Blends:
Because of its sometimes heavy taste, cabernet sauvignon is often blended - particularly with merlot, which softens up the taste. New World wine producers are also using shiraz to blend with cabernet.
Wine writer Jancis Robinson believes that cabernet blends are much better as straight cabernet sauvignon, "can lack charm and stuffing".
Wine producers can also age the wine in oak barrels to take the edge off the heavy taste.
- Central and Southern Europe: Because of its unique ability to travel almost anywhere, good cabernet sauvignons can be found in Spain, Germany and Austria. However, Oz Clarke points out that by being a good traveller it can often overpower the local character of these regions. So if you are looking for wine with a unique local flavour perhaps this isn't the grape variety you should be looking at.
USA: California plantings grew hugely during the 1970s and 80s with growers replicating wine-making methods of the Bordeaux chateau - a good example of this is the cabernets coming from the Napa Valley. It is one of the two main black grape varieties grown in Washington state (along with merlot). There are also successful examples grown in Arizona and Texas.
South America: One of the most popular grapes from Chile - it is the third most important vine after pais and semillon. It is argued that Chilean reds owe their worldwide reputation to cabernet sauvignon. Argentina is also a fertile ground for the grape.
France: Cabernet sauvignon's home is the Bordeaux region of France, with Medoc being one of the major heartlands. French plantings of the grape increased enormously in the 1980s. It is found in areas across south west France including Bergerac and Buzet as well as in Provence.
South Africa: According to Oz Clarke, cabernet has a very unique character in South Africa. This has become less so since the end of apartheid, as winemakers have been making more international styles. However, wines from vineyards such as Stellenbosch are still "unmistakably South African".
Eastern Europe: Widely planted in Russia but because of the cold its hybrid cabernet severney is becoming increasingly popular. Also don't be inclined to turn your nose up at any Bulgarian and Hungarian cabernets that may come your way.
Italy: It is a very traditional wine in the north east of the country and can increasingly be found in Tuscany, where the Tuscans add a new string to the blending bow by mixing it with sangiovese grapes.
Australia: Another region (like Bordeaux and California) where planting and harvesting of cabernet sauvignon boomed in the 1970s and 1980s. Recommended regions are Coonawarra, Margaret River and the Yarra Valley. Many Australian cabernets are blended with shiraz to take the edge off the heavy acidic taste (unlike in Europe where merlot grapes tend to be used).
New Zealand: As widely as cabernet sauvignon has travelled it has had some problems bedding down properly in New Zealand - although Oz Clarke argues that Hawkes Bay is now starting to produce some "exciting results".
With food...
Jonathan Pedley on cabernet sauvignon and food:
"It is not really a wine to serve by the glass over the bar but it is a great grape variety to match with food.
"This is because cabernet sauvignon is well known for its high level of acidity and tannin.
"Acidity cleans the palate when you are eating heavy rich foods so many cabernet sauvignons can be a great match for foods with high levels of protein, like steak or cheese."
Waverley TBS's top 10
Cape Promise "This classic Bordeaux grape is one of the mainstays for New World red wines. As with many other classic old world grapes that are transported to the southern hemisphere for example, the style becomes more generous, open and approachable than many of the wines grown in the country of origin.
Cape Promise is an exciting range of fruit driven wines from the Western Cape in South Africa, capitalising on the growth and consumer interest in the category. Display-driven promotional activity will pay dividends.
Moondarra Reserve Moondarra is the No1 Australian wine brand in the on-trade. Up
