By Alexander Turcan
The
"king" of the world’s red wine grapes, cabernet sauvignon originated
in the Bordeaux region of France, but also produces superlative wines around
the globe, including California, Washington State, South America, Eastern
Europe, and Australia. In California, the finest renditions generally come from
the Napa Valley.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a late-ripening
variety, with small, deeply colored, thick-skinned berries that yield dark,
intensely flavored, tannic, long-lived wines that often require years of aging
to soften and become drinkable.
Like chardonnay, the grape can be grown
in a multitude of different growing regions and conditions (although it prefers
warmer climates) and yet reliably impart characteristic varietal aromas and flavors,
which most often are compared to black currant, cherry, bell pepper and green
olive.
Despite its prominence in the industry,
the grape is a relatively new variety, the product of a chance crossing between
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon blanc during the 17th century in
southwestern France. Its popularity is often attributed to its ease of
cultivation—the grapes have thick skins and the vines are hardy and naturally low
yielding, budding late to avoid frost and resistant to viticultural hazards such
as rot and insects — and to its consistent presentation of structure and
flavours which express the typical character of the variety.
Cabernet Sauvignon profits from
blending with other complementary grape types, such as the softer, fruitier
merlot and the highly perfumed cabernet franc (with which it is customarily
blended in Bordeaux), and also from extended wood aging, most notably in French
oak barrels. Often hard and monochromatic when young, cabernet sauvignon, with
extended bottle aging, can develop fine, complex aromas and flavors.
The widespread popularity of Bordeaux
has contributed to criticism of the grape variety for its role as a "colonizer" grape, being planted in
new and emerging wine regions at the expense of focus on the unique local grape
varieties. Some regions, such as Portugal with its abundance of native grape
varieties, have largely ignored Cabernet Sauvignon as it seeks to rejuvenate
its wine industry.