Quick overview
Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines that taste of black fruits and are high in acidity and tannins, which means that they age very well. This is often the reason (along with supply and demand) that Cabernet Sauvignon produces some of the most expensive wines in the world - selling for in excess of £200,000 for a bottle (of Chateau Margaux or Screaming Eagle for example).
On the grapevine...
Bordeaux is the classic home for Cabernet Sauvignon and the left side of the Gironde Estuary produces wines that are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon based - often termed 'left bank Bordeaux'. The main appellations are the Medoc, Haut-Medoc (including Pauillac and Margaux) and Graves (including Pessac-Leognan). These wines are always aged in oak which soften any harsh tannins, concentrate the flavour and produce vanilla flavours.
More about the grape...
Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with Merlot, which generally adds body and alcohol.
If Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in cool climates (for example, Chile - South America) it often displays vegetal / bell pepper flavours. In a medium climate (Bordeaux - France) it will express mint / black pepper and in a hot climate (Napa Valley - California) the wine will display black jam / fruitcake and generally have lower tannins and more body.
​
The best wines are aged in oak, giving them flavours of vanilla, coffee and sometimes spice. This ageing will also help soften the tannins and lower acidity.
Random information...
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the main grape varieties that are used in the prestigious and very expensive 1855 Classification.
​
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines that were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality.
​
The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus) - first growth being the best. All of the red wines that made it on the list came from the Médoc region except for one: Château Haut-Brion from Graves. The white wines, then of much less importance than red wine, were limited to the sweet varieties of Sauternes and Barsac and were ranked only from superior first growth to second growth.
​
A lot of people now think that the 1855 Classification is out of date and needs to be re-evaluated.
First Growths (Premiers Crus):
​
- Château Lafite, now Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac.
- Château Latour, Pauillac.
- Château Margaux, Margaux.
- Haut-Brion, [a] now Château Haut-Brion, Pessac, Graves.
- Mouton (elevated to First Growth in 1973) now Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac.
​
<Wikipedia 2016>
​
Safe bet countries/ regions (this is a VERY general guide)
-
Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Pauillac, Margaux, Graves, Pessac-Leognan - Bordeaux, France
-
Margaret River - Western Australia
-
Hawke's Bay - New Zealand
-
Napa Valley, Sonoma - California, USA