Continuing our Cabernet Country theme in May, it is worth looking into the different ways that cabernet finds its way into our glasses and how these styles have evolved.
The most traditional use of this grape is in a blend with a family of varieties like merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and sometimes malbec that began in the Bordeaux region of France and particularly in the region known as the Medoc which is in the western part, or left bank of this famous wine region . These varieties share similarities that form the core of what we generally recognize as the Bordeaux style of wine; fruits of blackcurrant, black cherry, spice of anise or even licorice, non-fruit cues of pencil shavings and graphite and a continuum of interesting highlights from naturally occurring compounds in the grapes called pyrazines that have aromas that range from tobacco in its most subtle form, all the way to green pepper at higher concentrations .
In the Medoc, the affinity for Cabernet was clear. It grew and ripened regularly, yielded powerful wines of high quality that had the ability to age well. In the climate of Bordeaux, where the fruit is just ripe enough to pick and make into a great wine before winter sets in, the wines made from it tend to have a harshness that need some aging to tame these aspects of wines made from that grape in this climate.
Because of the power of cabernet, wine producers began to experiment with blending, adding wines made from other grapes like merlot. This variety ripens earlier, has more rounded fruit, and typically softer tannins which serve to soften the cabernet in a blend and makes it easier to drink a bit earlier. Other varieties were added to the blend such as cabernet franc (which is a parent to cabernet sauvignon along with sauvignon blanc) and adds some bright red fruit character and a subtle tobacco element without the added harshness of cabernet sauvignon. Petit verdot is also often added in small amounts to add color, structure and a floral component that it can sometimes exhibit. In time, the traditional Bordeaux style emerged and remains a classic in the wine world.
In the U.S. after prohibition and especially from the 1960s onward in northern California, cabernet sauvignon became very popular because of its ability to produce wines of great character and its hardy growing traits. Due to the warmer Mediterranean growing conditions and its later ripening character, cabernet sauvignon wines grown there were softer and more accessible than their cooler climate cousins, so they did not necessarily have to be blended to soften the cabernet. Blending continued in many cases mostly based on tradition, but many single variety cabernet sauvignon wines were made that were very different and more ‘user-friendly’ than could be produced in Bordeaux.
To add to the mix, in the 1950s and 1960s there were many wines being made that were named after famous wine growing regions such as Burgundy and Chablis. These wines were for the most part, made in bulk, blended, and had absolutely no resemblance to the famous wines for which they were named. Partially to show the level of quality and the artisanal care taken to make cabernet and other quality wines, and partially because the warmer climate yielded wines that were more open and did not necessarily need blending, quality American wine producers adopted a philosophy of “varietal wines” which lauded wines made from one variety as compared with the lower quality blends of the time.
Looking back from the 21st century at the evolution of Bordeaux blends and the use of those varieties here in the United States, you can now better understand the wines we make here at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. We were founded to make the quality, cabernet-based wines in that Bordeaux style that have become ISOSCELES and ISOSCELES Reserve. We have also evolved to produce what California does best; our JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve Cabernet . Blended, or single variety, these are wines strongly based in the traditions of both Bordeaux and proudly ,California. From our experience making these wines for decades, we have found that the foundation of our success is the world-quality cabernet sauvignon that we grow and produce here in Paso Robles. This is Cab Country!
Drink the wines you like, but understand why you like them,
Jim Gerakaris, CSW
Certified Sommelier
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