Recent studies have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. One of the world's finest red wine grapes, Cabernet's reputation was established by the great estates of Bordeaux, although it has proved exceptional in other regions as well. It is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in the Medoc district of the Bordeaux region, as well as being the most successful red wine produced in California. In fact, almost every wine producing country has some Cabernet in its vineyards.
Packed with flavour, a good Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, rich, and full of blackcurrant, cherry, chocolate, cedar and tobacco aroma and flavours. The tannins that can make it a bit harsh to drink in its youth also make it a prime candidate for long aging, giving it the ability to mature into a most complex and full-bodied red wine. With age, its distinctive blackcurrant bouquet can develop hints of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably.
It is usually blended for complexity and to round out the powerful tannins characteristic of this wine, and it blends successfully with varietals such:
- Syrah (Shiraz) in wines from Australia,
- Sangiovese in wines from Italy,
- A combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in Bordeaux.
In the USA, Bordeaux-style blends of Cabernet Sauvignon are often labelled "Meritage" a term coined in California to distinguish these fine blended wines from ordinary table wines.
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