The Cellar: Cabernet Sauvignon
Friday, February 25, 2011
Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most popular red grape.
From California to New Zealand, winemakers make fabulous wines out of this widely planted varietal. Depending on the region and producer, Cabernet Sauvignon is made into simple, everyday $10 sippers, or complex, age-worthy sleepers that can cost more than $1,000 per bottle. Unlike Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon is a relatively easy grape to grow. With its compelling aromas and flavors it is no surprise that Cabernet Sauvignon is a worldwide favorite. This week we explore three critically acclaimed examples from south of the equator - Argentina, South Africa and Australia.
2009 Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza Argentina
The backstory: The 2009 Tilia Cabernet Sauvignon is made at Bodegas Esmeralda, a Catena owned family winery in the Eastern region of Mendoza that is dedicated to making value wines for the Argentine domestic
market. Tilia wines offer a unique combination of fruit sourced from the traditional Eastern region and the dynamic Southern region of Mendoza. The Eastern region of Mendoza enjoys warm, sunny days and cool desert nights.
The wine: If you are used to drinking heavily oaked, full-bodied Californian Cabernet Sauvignon you are in for a surprise. This wine displays nice dark purple color. On the nose I detect some red fruit and spice, but on the palate the flavors are not that extracted and the wine is medium-bodied at best. There appears to have undergone very little oak aging and the tannins in this wine are hardly noticeable, but it is dry and has nice bright fruit and acid. As the wine opens up it definitely gets better. This wine received a 91 point score from Wine & Spirits Magazine – I do not agree! But hey, every palate is different. Go out, find it and taste for yourself.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
2008 Yalumba Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia
The backstory: Yalumba was founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, a British migrant and English brewer, who had brought his family to Angaston seeking a new life. After purchasing the 30-acre parcel of land just beyond
the southern-eastern boundary of Angaston, Smith and his son began planting the first vines. Samuel named his patch “Yalumba”, which is aboriginal for “all the land around." Five generations and 160 years later Yalumba has grown in size and stature and is now Australia's oldest family-owned winery.The wine: Leading Australian wine critic James Halliday awarded the 2008 Yalumba Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon a 91 point score, which is a very high score for any wine under $15. This wine has a nice and focused nose with dark fruit and spice aromas. On the palate I immediately detect an assertive acidity, which probably will come as a surprise (and turnoff) to most Cabernet drinkers. Despite this I taste lovely cherry and spice flavors with a long finish. It is a different lean style of Cabernet that I urge everyone to seek out.
2008 Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa
The backstory: During 1859 the first member of the De Wet clan began clearing the elevated open grassland of the Little Karoo in today's Robertson/Ashton area to create pasturage. By the end of the nineteenth century his three sons had shown their resourcefulness by breeding horses, ostriches and started to grow vines on this land too. Despite all the other ventures, wine has always been made on the Estate. It is now the
most important crop on the farm, with Excelsior exporting wine to over 20 countries. The farm has 220 acres which have been planted with noble cultivars like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot and today's featured Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine: This wine smells like Californian Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes across oaky and besides from some dark fruits I am having a hard time detecting any other aromas. Wine Enthusiast gave the 2008 Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon an 88 point score and I think many would agree. It is by no means a complex wine, but it is lush and creamy with sweet berry flavors and smoke. It finishes a little awkward with the oak becoming a bit too much. But overall a good wine – one you should open at least two hours prior to consuming.
Enjoy!
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