Cabernet Sauvignon: Immaculate Conception & the Father of Australian Grape Growing
– aromas in the air: eucalyptus influence on Australian Cabernet
Once upon a wine, there was a grape called Cabernet Sauvignon. His father, the black grape Cabernet Franc, and his mother, the white grape Sauvignon Blanc, were discovered via DNA Profiling at University of California at Davis in 1997. It is believed this genetic mixing happened spontaneously.
Like immaculate conception?
Until this revelation, there was significant mystery around Cabernet Sauvignon, as there existed no documentation on the grape’s existence until the late 18th century, which is late in terms of wine history.
Cabernet Franc may be Cabernet Sauvignon’s father, but the Father of Australian vine growing title is given to Scottish born James Busby. He studied grape growing and wine making in France prior to immigrating to Australia in 1824, with the goal of making wine there. He was only 24 years old. His biggest contribution however, happened in 1931 when he made a four-month Europe excursion collecting hundreds of varieties of European grape vine cuttings, including Cabernet Sauvignon. He visited the botanical gardens of Kew in London, of Luxembourg in Paris, and of Montpellier, as well as in other parts of France and Spain. These cuttings were shipped to Australia the following year – some clones produced in Australia today are attributed to this very shipment!
Cab Sauv’s proliferation was slow in Australia even though the oldest surviving Cab vines in the world are grown in Barossa, planted in 1885 at producer Penfold’s Block 42. In 1966, Cab Sauv barely existed in Australia, with only approximately 100 hectares planted due to climate and soil condition limitations. The turning point was the focus on relatively cooler climate regions of Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley, where there are oceanic cooling influences. (In other parts of the world, Cab Sauv needs at least a moderate climate to fully ripen.)
Blah blah blah why do I care?
This grape is believed to be the world’s most renowned.
In the 1960s and 1970s in Australia, high quality Cabernet Sauvignon led to international acclaim, and is now the country’s # 3 most planted grape after Shiraz and Chardonnay.
Its thick skins provide the wine its appealing deep color. These skins, in addition to small berries (which means a smaller volume of pulp) and high seed to pulp ratio, all contribute to this wine having high tannins. (Tannins come from skins, seeds, and stems.) Cab Sauv tannins are also distinct from many other grape tannins in that they are very fine grained.
In my last post, I discussed the term “terroir”. This means a wine’s taste will convey different nuances in Bordeaux versus Australia. The genetic blending of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc is why Cabernet Sauvignon has an herbal quality just like its parents. In Cab Sauv this is often perceived as mint or menthol. In Australia it can also have eucalyptus aromas, usually due to oils from the eucalyptus trees landing on the grapes and consequently flavoring the wine. This is a classic example of terroir – in this case, the environmental elements have a direct impact on the wine’s made there!
Speaking of eucalyptus… The jury is no longer out – the Verdict is in.
Shinas Estate The Verdict 2019 from Victoria, Australia
Style: New World Full Body Red
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
This bright fruit forward wine with high fine-grained tannins has flavors of ripe raspberry, sweet red cherry, ripe strawberry, black cherry, and black plum with the complexity of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, coconut, and milk chocolate with a hint of earth and forest floor. It also has a long finish.
Best pairings: Beef Hamburgers, Lamb Kabobs with mint sauce, Slow-Cooked Beef Ragu served over pasta, Hard Cheese: Aged Gouda and Comté.
Serving Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius
Price: ~$26 (incl. Shades of Grape 15% discount & 5% gst)
Serving Tips: Temperature is key - this is a high alcohol wine, if served too warm, the wine will seem unbalanced even though the alcohol is well integrated.
I have compiled all my relevant wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. This version also has links on where to find the wines in Alberta. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Australian Wine. (2020). CABERNET SAUVIGNON: RIVALRY AND REVOLUTION. [online] Available at: CABERNET SAUVIGNON: RIVALRY AND REVOLUTION [Accessed 12 Feb. 2024].
Australian WIne. (n.d.). The Ultimate Guide to Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends [PDF The Ultimate Guide to Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends]. Retrieved February 12, 2024, from https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/c28c6566-725d-0048-c076-bd0fa28fb4a9/018378c5-d281-4603-b959-959f4dfa45c1/AWD_CabSauv_ConsumerGuide.pdf
Robinson, J. (2015) The oxford companion to wine. 4th rev. ed. Corby: Oxford University Press.
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Such clever writing. It is a pleasure to read your blog. Cheers to you!!