Cabernet down under
There has been a long love affair between Australians and the Cabernet Sauvignon grape
HOWEVER you choose to look at it there is a love affair between Cabernet Sauvignon and Australia. It rose to fame from the 1960s onwards, where it was praised for its elegance, structure and purity of fruit. It was seen as the antithesis of Shiraz, refined and reserved, with an impeccable Bordelais pedigree. It quickly became established as the most fashionable of all the red varieties, seating beside Chardonnay for its class and distinction.
Cabernet Sauvignon quickly found a home in the Southern region of Coonawarra. Although Australia boasts over 60 distinct wine regions, from the very large and old such as the Barossa, to the very small and new, such as Gundagaii in southern New South Wales, it would be fair to say that just three of these regions – Coonawarra, Margaret River in Western Australia, and the Yarra Valley in Victoria – go out of their way to claim Cabernet as their best-performing grape variety.
At Coonawarra it thrived in the region’s terra rossa soil, producing deeply-coloured, firmly-structured wines with great ageing potential. The long, cool growing season allowed for the accumulation of intense berry flavours, with an undercurrent or regional eucalypt character.
Margaret River also saw the variety excel. The region was established due to its similar climatic conditions to Bordeaux, thus Cabernet Sauvignon seemed to have a natural affinity with the region. Beautifully balanced wines with fresh berry fruit and fine tannins are the hallmarks of the Margaret River wines.
Some of Australia’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon can be found on the Penfolds Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa Valley. The estate escapes the vagaries of phylloxera, hence the survival of the 100-year-old-vines. The yield and berry size is incredibly small, yet the colour and flavour is extraordinary. The fruit invariably makes its way into Penfolds Bin 707.
Cabernet Sauvignon requires care and attention in the vineyard, with fruit exposure and yield directly related to fruit quality. However its thick skin makes it incredibly resilient to adverse climatic conditions. In the winery, winemakers often age Cabernet Sauvignon in a mixture of French and American oak. However, the purists exclusively use French.
Climate has a significant impact on the sensory characteristics of the variety. In cooler climates, minty and leafy characters are intermingled with blackcurrant and red berries. In warmer climates, chocolate and tobacco characters express themselves. However, the underlying characters common to all Cabernet Sauvignons are drying, mouth puckering tannins and a hollow palate. The latter is the reason it is often blended with the Merlot.
Australia produces a distinct array of Cabernet Sauvignon styles, unlike any others found throughout the world. A classic Australia blend is that of Cabernet and Shiraz. Fleshy Shiraz fruit weaves itself into Cabernet’s framework, producing a wine with fabulous structure and flavour. But whether it is a component of a blend, or a stand alone varietal, the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon shines through.
Wine of the week
1999 Pikes Reserve Cabernet, Clare Valley, Alcohol Volume 13.5%, Price approximately £23.00
Pikes of Clare Valley in South Australia can be proud of their four Reserve wines. There is the Riesling, Shiraz, Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon. It is made from grapes grown on vineyards in the Polish Hill River sub-region of Clare’s Valley. This vineyard is considered to produce the best Cabernet and when it is classified as a good vintage that the wine can age for more than ten years it is then classified as a reserve. This means that their individual vineyards had reached a level of exceptional quality to warrant separate bottling.
This is the first Cabernet under that label and is blended with a dash of Cabernet Franc. It is kept in new French oak barrels for 24 months. This results in a deep to medium ruby colour, and aromas of sweet dark berry fruits; blackcurrant and cassis are evident with spicy vanilla oak, mocha and cedar showing through. Leather notes are evident too and will be the longer is kept in the bottle. Structured palate enough to balance the firmish tannins. Hold for five more years and serve at 18ºC; enjoy this wine with mostly red meat especially beefs. I had mine with beef fillets, blue cheese and caramelised onions and it was superb. Pricey but it was worth it. Soon this page will review non reserve Cabernets which cost less than £11.00.
For more information contact First Mediterranean 99 374075 or 99 624699
