The Wine Corner

Cabenet Sauvignon
Known as the king of top selling Red wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most successful and popular. Indigenous to France it is thought to be an offshoot of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc and is one of the primary grapes used in France’s Bordeaux region. This grape’s reputation for excellence is one of the main reasons that it is heavily planted in several of the major wine producing areas throughout the world.

First introduced in Northern California in the 1960’s, this grape has exploded into several wineries, particularly in Napa Valley and Sonoma County, that now make quality wines that rival those made in France. Other areas in the world that have been heavily planted with this variety include Chile and Australia, with some minor plantings being started in Italy and Spain where the grape is mainly blended with local varieties such as Sangiovese in Italy and Tempranillo in Spain.

A wine that is called a Cabernet Sauvignon is not always a 100% Cabernet due to blending techniques used to offset the high astringency of the grape. However, sometimes laws are put in place to govern how much blending grapes can be used, such as in California where in order for the wine to be called a Cabernet Sauvignon there must be at least 75% Cabernet in the wine, otherwise the wine is given another name, for instance, the name of the vineyard. In order to create a certain level of standards for blended wines from California a number of vintners got together and coined the term Meritage. A Meritage wine is a wine that has been blended from a combination of the grapes varieties allowed in Bordeaux, those grapes being Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and to a lesser degree Petit Verdot and Malbec. No more than 90% of one variety of one grape can go into a Meritage wine and it must be the vineyard’s best wine.

Structure and complexity as well as longevity and flavor are the main reasons that this grape has become so popular. The flavors of this grape have been described as cherry and blackcurrant in addition to chocolate, cedar, and tobacco. A long lasting grape that is high in acidity and tannins this grape can age for extended periods of time, sometimes up to 20 or 30 years. Sometimes Cabernets are blended with softer grapes to offset the harshness in the flavor.

1999 - 2005

The Egremont Inn
10 Old Sheffield Rd.
P.O. Box 418
S. Egremont, MA. 01258
Telephone: (413)-528-2111

dining@egremontinnrestaurant.com