Alcohol: Cabernet
The premier red wine grape is the Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety is small, dark, thick skinned, and requires a warm climate to reach maturity. Many red Bordeaux wines use the Cabernet Sauvignon, making this variety one of the dominant grapes grown in the Bordeaux region of France. Bordeaux is the largest producer of classified fine wines, and has the ideal climate and rich soil for growing these wine grapes.
The Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines rich in tannin, which allow a long aging potential. These wines may take 5 to 10 years to achieve peak flavor–some of these flavors associated with dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, black currant, and even olive and green pepper. This varietal is also frequently blended with other varieties for increased complexity.
Through DNA testing, experts discovered that Cabernet Sauvignon descends from the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Also used in many Bordeaux blends, the Cabernet Franc is lighter and fruitier than the Cabernet Sauvignon, and usually only used as a minor component in the blends. Cabernets generally age for 18 months in oak barrels before they are bottled, a process that achieves more complexity in flavor.
Choosing Bordeaux Cabernet Blends
Many Bordeaux wines command expensive prices because of their well-deserved classification. However, wine enthusiasts can also enjoy an endless number of choices that fall within any price range. So many wines are produced out of Bordeaux that you can find full-bodied, light-bodied, red, or white wines to fit any budget!