Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the king among the red grape varieties. It thus occupies the same place as the Chardonnay among the white varieties. There is no wine-growing region in the world which is suitable for the cultivation of red wine grapes and in which a significant stock of Cabernet Sauvignon cannot be found. The grape variety is also widespread in Italy.

The greatest advantage of Cabernet Sauvignon is its unbroken individuality. It retains its varietal characteristics under almost all circumstances and is the easiest of all red wines to identify. He can also perfectly interpret the terroir in his own way. In addition, it is of course the quality and character of his wines that have made him the top star of red wine varieties. It is not so much the fruits, which are often compared to currants, or the aromas described as paprika scents that lift Cabernet Sauvignon to the top of the Wine Olympics. Rather, it is his ability to age in the bottle for a long time, in which he presents himself indescribably complex, distinguished, full of dignity and unbelievably profound, multi-layered and lasting like hardly any other wine.

A high content of dyestuffs and tannins are the tools for ripening. Cabernet Sauvignon also responds very well to ageing in small barrels of new oak wood. It then absorbs additional tannins from the oak wood, which further improve its ageing potential. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the darkest wines ever. Only the black wines of Cahors and wines from the grape variety Syrah (Shiraz) have even deeper colors. The wines from Cabernet Sauvignon have a fruity charm and prove youthful freshness.

In the vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon is no more problematic than most other grape varieties. It sprouts later than Merlot, which makes it less sensitive to spring frosts. The tendency to trickle is not particularly great, so that the economic yields can be achieved regularly and reliably. The berries are small, dark coloured, extremely thick skinned and the seeds rich in tannins. In the early years, the fruit of some wines suffered from the hardness of the tannins. In the meantime, however, the wine producers in Tuscany are leading the way in producing first-class, fruity wines from Cabernet Sauvignon that are ready to drink early.

In Italy, Cabernet Sauvignon used not to be very different from Cabernet Franc for a long time, but today it is recognized as being of higher value and is planted neatly on its own. In the meantime, the grape variety has spread throughout the country - in northern Italy from South Tyrol via Venice to the Nebbiolo and Barbera strongholds of Piedmont.

In Tuscany, the resounding success of the Super Tuscans was only made possible by blending traditional Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon. And many a Chianti Classico today contains a good proportion of this noble variety to strengthen its contours. Cabernet Sauvignon is also widespread in southern Italy. In Sardinia in particular, it performs outstandingly, often in blending with the great Sicilian red wine variety Nero d'Avola. Cabernet Sauvignon can be found in the most expensive wine of Italy - the Sassicaia.

Cabernet Franc

The red Cabernet Franc is often used as a "cousin" of Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to the similarity in appearance, many ampelographers today assume that this is an old mutation of Cabernet Sauvignon, specially adapted to the wetter soils and cooler climate of the French Libournais.

The budding of the Cabernet Franc begins one to two weeks before the Cabernet Sauvignon, as with the Merlot. Thus this variety is more exposed to the unpredictable whims of the weather. In cool and wet conditions during the flowering period, the Cabernet Franc shows a greater tendency to discard the fruit set, i.e. to trickle - but not as pronounced as the Merlot. Grape ripening begins one to two weeks earlier than with the relatively late ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. Frequent rainfall at harvest time is less of a problem for the Cabernet Franc than for its more prominent relative.

Cabernet Franc is widespread in northern Italy, where it has only recently begun to be distinguished from Cabernet Sauvignon. Labelling practices have evolved in such a way that Cabernet Sauvignon is now identified by its full name, while the numerous bottles labelled Cabernet usually contain Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc cultivation centres are located in South Tyrol/Alto Adige, Trentino, the Garda Bresciano Riviera, the whole of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The wines are spicy and spicy and usually have a herbal aroma. They are also lighter, lighter and have fewer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon. SUPERIORE.DE