Under the Influence of the Grape: Cabernet
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Transcript of Under the Influence of the Grape: Cabernet
Under the Influence is proud to unveil another sip and learn experience.
So, if you don’t already have a glass of wine in hand please proceed to
open one, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the selection if you will, because
we are investigating the grape on this course and in particular Cabernet
Sauvignon. The king of the red grapes, which is a standalone great or a
leader amongst blends.
We hope you enjoy our Cabernet Sauvignon selection and its blending
partners with this ensemble.
YOUR WINES
Wine
Best
drinking
Appear-
ance [3]
Nose
[7]
Palate
[10]
Total
[20]
Cederberg Cabernet
Sauvignon
Now to
2012
Paul Cluver Elgin Blend Now to
2012
Belfield Cabernet
Sauvignon
Now to
2012
Oak Valley Chardonnay Now to
2011
Steenberg Sauvignon
Blanc
Now
Rustenberg Brampton
Viognier
Now
A reminder on how to rate your own wine:
• The best wines are those that you enjoy most.
• Appearance: Only rate less than three if there are any obvious flaws.
• Nose: Start at 3.5 and work your way up for positive characteristics and
down for negative.
• Palate: Start at 5 and head up for the good and down for the bad.
• Record your results and it is incredible how much you learn by going
through this process. Practice makes perfect!
Producer: The Nieuwoudt family has been handcrafting wines at
Cederberg for 5 generations. With David Nieuwoudt now at the helm of
operations, an element of character and appeal is consistently enjoyed
throughout the Cederberg range. A keen rock climber, David is not afraid
to go in new directions, experimenting with new techniques and not
merely resting on his own or his family’s success. His training at
Elsenburg Wine Academy and passionate love of wine has resulted in a
wide repertoire of wines, each with special character and appeal.
Cultivar Characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon is the focus topic of the
course this month, found at the end of the booklet. The Cederberg
Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic expression of what the variety has to
offer.
Wine Characteristics: This is an elegant, juicy and lively wine. It has
intense dark mulberry, tobacco and cassis with a full and rich palate
holding firm tannin structure. There is also some spice complexity to the
wine..
Cellaring: Quite a young and relatively aggressive Cabernet Sauvignon
so worth aging for four to six years. For the impatient see below.
Complimentary foods: The tannin structure of this wine would be
softened by a good cut of sirloin, simply seared on the braai or pan.
Ordering: R510 per case of six.
YOUR RED WINES
Cederberg Cabernet
Sauvignon
Rate your wine
Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Producer: As any good blend requires a good interaction between the
comprising varietals, Paul Cluver Wines relies heavily on the close knit
nature of the family on which this operation was founded. This family
extends, not only to the Cluvers, but to all of those who call the farm
home. Based in the cool climate Elgin Valley as part of the Kogelberg
Biosphere, Paul Cluver Wines is one of the leading producers of fine
wines in this region. Other well respected producers in the region include
Iona, Ross Gower Wines and the relatively new Belfield Estate.
Cultivar Characteristics: The intrigue and complexity of blended wines
provides the winemaker with a stage to showcase his true talents. The
art of creating the perfect blend is achieved by very few but sought by so
many. While a winemaker only has so much control over a single varietal
wine, the flavour and structure of a blend is left almost entirely in the
hands of he who decides on the nature of the blend. This particular blend
is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, providing much needed structure;
Shiraz, providing further structure and spiciness and finally Merlot, which
brings all three varietals together and adds significant fruit to the final
product.
Wine Characteristics: On the nose one is treated to plum and dark
berry flavours with hints of mocha and chocolate flavours. The palate is
inundated with fruit and shows great texture combined with densely
structured tannins.
Complimentary foods: This wine would be a superb partner with lamb.
Cellaring: Can drink now or for next 5 years.
Ordering: R330 per case of 6
Paul Cluver
Elgin Blend
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Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Producer: Belfield is a boutique producer, with a mere 3 hectares under
vine. The property lies on a warmer north facing slope with gravely,
ironstone soils, ideal for the four red varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc that are planted. The small volumes
make for incredibly high attention to detail and owner Mike Kreft believes
strongly that a wine’s quality is decided in the vineyard. Meticulous
canopy management, to ensure enough sunlight on the grapes, and
careful grape selection are two focuses to ensure optimum ripeness and
quality.
Cultivar Characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon, king of the red grapes,
has the composition to produce huge wines due to its high tannin
structure and intense flavours. Cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignons are
more subtle, however, as they are often softer and less robust wines.
Wine Characteristics: This wine is a signature cooler climate Cabernet
Sauvignon with soft tannins and blackberry and plum flavours. Matured
in 100% French Oak the wine also has smoky and cassis elements to it.
Beautifully balanced, with a crisp finish this wine will present Cabernet
Sauvignon in a guise not normally found in South Africa.
Complimentary foods: In the recent Wine Magazine this wine was
paired with a springbok casserole. Who are we to argue with that?
Cellaring: This wine has integrated beautifully and will age well over the
next five years.
Ordering: R480 per case of six.
Belfield Magnifica
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Producer: Oak Valley spans a massive 1786 hectares, boasting a
portfolio of fruit, cut flowers, beef cattle and increasingly, high quality
cool climate wines. A wide diversity of slopes is available for vineyard
establishment; the highest vineyard is situated at 600 metres above sea
level on a south facing slope at the toe of the Groenberg mountains.
Cultivar Characteristics: Sauvignon Blanc’s homeland is in the Loire
appellations of France but it is grown in regions around the world. A
Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruit and gooseberry tones is very often
from a warmer climate, whereas the grassy, greenpepper and more
flinty Sauvignons often hail from cooler climates. Also, the cooler the
climate, the more racy the acidity of the wine.
Wine Characteristics: This is a beautifully balanced wine with tropical
notes of litchi and passion fruit with some hints of greenpepper. The
wine has a crisp acidity and comes alive on the palate. It is well rounded
and benefits from a long aftertaste. A beautiful example of a Sauvignon
Blanc.
Complimentary foods: This wine will pair beautifully with a carbonara
style pasta.
Cellaring: Worth a dabble now but you can cellar this wine for at least
three years.
Ordering: R540 per case of six.
YOUR WHITE WINES
Oak Valley
Chardonnay
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Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Producer: Steenberg is actually the oldest farm in the Constantia valley
and has all of the superb terroir that the region is known for. With cool,
east facing slopes in close proximity to the ocean and granite based soils
the wines from the Estate have won acclaim from around the world.
Since 1990 some 68Ha of vineyard have been planted including
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Shiraz and Nebbiolo.
Cultivar characteristics: Sauvignon Blanc, the white savage! This
varietal originates in the Loire valley of France and has a reputation for
steely acidity and intense flinty, grassy and fruit flavours. It definitely
has a penchant for cooler climates where its racy characters come to the
fore. In warm climates it can be a bit flabby and low in acidity, with dull
flavours.
Wine characteristics: This Sauvignon bridges the Old World and New
World beautifully in terms of style. Old World wines are grassy, with
mineral and gooseberry characters while new world Sauvignons tend to
have more tropical fruit. This Sauvignon has the best of both with the
flinty and full bodied characteristics of grass, peppers and fruit.
Complimentary foods: Here is a challenge for you… prepare a mussel
dish with a slightly spicy sauce and pair it with this wine. Glorious!
Cellaring: Worth drinking this year.
Ordering: R450 per case of 6
Steenberg
Sauvignon Blanc
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Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Producer: Brampton Wines fall under the Rustenburg estate, which can
be found in the Southern Simonsburg amphitheatre. Surrounded by bold
mountain peaks, the high elevation of this region allows it to benefit
from the cooling sea breezes – despite being 30km from the ocean. Soils
are typically granite-rich, high-yielding varieties, with good water and
nutrient retention properties.
Cultivar Characteristics: Viognier is characterised by floral flavours
and aromas due to a specific flavour compound found in the grapes
known as terpenes. This makes it one of the more gloriously perfumed
grapes in the white wine bracket. It is usually used in blends, with both
red and white wines, and single cultivar releases, like this one, are rare.
The cultivar generally prefers a warmer climate, and is generally made to
be consumed relatively young, as extensive ageing often leads to a re-
duction in the wine’s floral aromas.
Wine Characteristics: This is a fine example of a single-variety
Viognier. Not overly brash in its aroma or mouth-feel, the palate offers a
hint of sweetness and an intricate structure. Bursts of honey and apricot
indicate the varietal’s signature characteristics, and the four months in
French and American oak have given the wine a rich, full-bodied charac-
ter.
Cellaring - Delicious now, so this is a good one for those with little
patience!
Complimentary foods: A sweet and sour chicken dish would be a good
bet.
Ordering: R290 per case of six.
Brampton
Viognier
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Appearance (3): [ ]
Nose (7): [ ]
Palate (10): [ ]
Total (20): [ ]
Notes
Welcome dear Under the Influence member to our next focus point; that
of the grape. In particular we are looking at Cabernet Sauvignon and
without a doubt sampling it too!
Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape and wine is made from grapes and only
grapes. Now that we have got that out the way, let’s first briefly
understand what does a grape consist of and how does it influence the
end product in the glass.
We know that a grape or bunch of grapes consists of the following:
• Skin
• Pulp (the juice)
• Pips
• Stalks
The question we need to ask is simply, “but what do they do for
flavour?” Let’s have a quick look.
FOCUS ON THE GRAPE
Stalk
Take a stalk and chew it if you dare! It is mostly
astringent tannin. Too much stalk contact will give
lots of green tannin flavours. Some stalk contact is
seen as positive, only for wines that need bulking up
of tannin structure like certain Pinot Noirs.
Pulp (the juice)
They juice holds key ingredients. The juice is sweet
and the sugar within it is converted to alcohol. So
the more sugar, the more alcohol. The juice has a
certain degree of acidity. So, if a grape is under ripe
the acids will be too high, if over ripe the grapes
won’t have enough acidity. Finally, grape juice holds
different flavours. Through evolution grapes held
fruit and floral flavours and aromas to attract birds
and insects to pollinate them. These are unlocked
during fermentation.
Skin
The skin is another really important part of the
grape. Skin gives a wine flavour, colour and tannin.
So, it stands to reason that a red grape that has a
thicker skin will have more flavour, more colour and
more tannin. The skin also holds a very important
ingredient, especially for traditional wine makers.
Grapes skins can have wild yeast on them which
trigger fermentation naturally.
Pips
There are two types of people, those that eat pips in
grapes and those that spit them out. A third kind,
which is on the increase buys only seedless grapes!
The reason we spit them out is that they are bitter.
They will give a wine a similar bitterness if the
grapes, skins and pips are pressed to hard. This can
actually crack the pips.
With an understanding of the grape we can now have a look at the
majestic Cabernet Sauvignon. Similar to when you meet someone new it
is customary to ask “where are you from?”. Let’s take a similar approach
with Cabernet Sauvignon!
Cabernet Sauvignon is a product of a chance crossing between Cabernet
Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that probably occurred during the 17th
century in France. Cabernet Sauvignon shares similar aromas with both
grapes – the blackcurrant and pencil box aromas of Cabernet Franc and
the grassiness of Sauvignon Blanc. Its first recorded plantings were in
the Pauillac on Château Mouton and Château d'Armailhac , and these
were probably the source of many grapes for the rest of Bordeaux and
the world.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon
Since we have moved on from the origins of the grape we can start to
analyse its character.
The grapes have thick skins and the vines are hardy and resistant to rot
and frost. This has led to it being widely planted around the world.
The grape itself is very small, so it has a small proportion of pulp, or
juice, to the skin. This gives Cabernet Sauvignon intense flavours, higher
tannin levels and dark inky colour. These characteristics often give
Cabernet Sauvignon a leading role in a blend.
Another notable trait of Cabernet Sauvignon is its affinity for oak, either
during fermentation or in barrel aging. In addition to having a softening
effect on the grape’s naturally high tannins, the unique wood flavours
and vanilla and spice compliment the natural grape flavours of black
currant and other dark fruits.
So, in terms of character traits Cabernet Sauvignon is
quite a dominant character, thick skinned and
somewhat intense at times but also mixes well with
others, usually as the centre of attention! We all know
one...
Where are you planning on travelling?
If you had asked Cabernet Sauvignon back in the
17th century, “where are you planning on
travelling?”, it would probably not have imagined the
extent of its influence around the world. From
Bordeaux, Italy, to Australia, South Africa and California, many different
styles are produced.
In the Old World, Bordeaux is king and shows
Cabernet Sauvignon’s propensity for slightly cooler
climates and well drained gravel based soils
In South Africa, Stellenbosch is seen as a centre for producing great
Cabernet Sauvignon’s and red blends. It is a warmer climate than
Bordeaux and shows more riper fruit flavours.
What does it do for flavour?
So, when confronted with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and a table of
Guests who have gone silent in anticipation of your informed comments on
the wine in the glass, what to say!?
The style of Cabernet Sauvignon is strongly
influenced by the ripeness of the grapes at
harvest. When more on the unripe side,
the grapes are high in pyrazines and will
exhibit pronounced green bell peppers and
vegetal flavours. When harvested overripe
the wines can taste jammy and may have
aromas of stewed black currants.
When Cabernet Sauvignon is young, the wines typically exhibit strong fruit
flavours of black cherries and plum. The aroma of black currants is one of
the most distinctive and characteristic element of Cabernet Sauvignon that
is present in virtually every style of the wine across the globe.
Styles from various regions and producers may also have aromas of
eucalyptus, mint and tobacco. As the wines age they can sometimes
develop aromas associated with cedar, cigar boxes and pencil shavings. In
general New World examples have more pronounced fruity notes while Old
World wines can be more austere with heightened earthy notes.
“I would tend to agree with
Typical Cabernet Sauvignon Smell and/or Flavour Descriptors (The
cheat sheet)
Varietal Aromas/Flavours: Processing Bouquets/Flavours:
Fruit: Blackcurrant, Blackberry, Black
cherry, Plum, Cassis
Herbal: Green Pepper, Mint, Green
Olive, Asparagus, Bell Pepper
Spice: Ginger, Green peppercorn,
Pimento
Oak (light): Vanilla, Coconut, Sweet
wood
Oak (heavy): Chocolate, Coffee,
Smoke, Toast, Tar, Oak
Bottle Age: Pencil Shavings, Cedar,
Cigar box, Musk, Mushroom, Earth,
Leather
Regionality in South Africa
The wine world loves to differentiate wine styles by region and this stems
largely from areas like Burgundy and Bordeaux where one vineyard can be
a stone throw from another vineyard and the wines vary in flavour just as
much as price! Here is a very general overall of some regional styles to look
Stellenbosch: Well drained sandstone and shale soils and partly shielded
from cool sea breezes. Intense flavours and dense tannin structures are the
typical traits here. A lot of award winning Cabernet Sauvignons.
Helderberg: Similar to Stellenbosch but varying altitudes and more sea
breeze contact. Blue and blackberry is typical with a finer tannin structure
and lower alcohol levels.
Helshoogte pocket: Just outside Stellenbosch. Slightly cooler climate and
famous for minty traits of Thelema Cabernet Sauvignons.
Elgin: Cool climate with Cabernet Sauvignons showing Old World freshness
in acidity, lower alcohol and dark fruit character.
Franschhoek: Warmer interior, concentrated fruit and rounded tannins,
usually quite accessible at a young age.
Paarl: Big, beastly Cabernet Sauvignons. Beautifully rich and structured.
Durbanville: A cooler climate produces finely textured Cabernet
Sauvignons with herbaceous characters.
Here is an extract from an interview we had with Eben Sadie, focusing on soil.
You can read more articles at www.undertheinfluence.co.za. Click through to
our blog.
It is said that all wine has one thing in common. Many may argue that the
commonality lies in the fact that all wines are made from grapes. Taking the
fact that grapes create wine as an absolute, the commonality lies in the fact
that all wines in the world have an address…a place. Wines are liquid images
that give us an understanding of a place. This is why wine has an origin, an
address, a place.
With European labels, or for that matter the old world, the importance of the
wine is not who produced it, but rather where it is from! For instance, in
Burgundy, Mussiny would be large and apparent on the label and the producer’s
name, small and insignificant in comparison. Mussiny is a place with a certain
soil. These producers produce places, not certain percentages of alcohol with
certain stylistic flavours. Soil is where a plant roots itself; a vine puts its whole
life, its anchor, in the soil. The whole neurological system of the vine is placed
in the soil. In the late 70’s wine became like fashion. Everyone wanted to be a
famous superstar of the wine world. Producers started pushing wine making as
a determinant factor for wine styles. Before the 70’s, the soil, the history and
the community were the driving factors. In the late 70’s and early 80’s a shift in
wine toward prestige and excellence was apparent, moving away from the
importance of soil and into the cellar.
BLOG POST
This saw the birth of great winemakers, the great winemakers portfolios, and
consumers opting for varietal wines like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc,
which became a function of branding. Hence, more important than the vines
grown and the soils grown in, was the need to produce a varietal wine of
fashion. In retrospect, we have lost so much in the last 20 years. Many wines
were made by people who put their own importance above that of the region or
address. All wineries use the same barrels, the same consultants and the same
university textbooks; hence it is only normal to assume that most of the wines
are starting to look the same.
Now we drink a Cabernet in Australia, Bordeaux and Napa and the
differentiation is minimal in many cases. What is important, in these wines, is
precision viticulture, precision wine making, precision barrels, precision yeasts
and precision clones while in the end it is no surprise that many of the wines
have no character of soil.
In Burgundy there are vineyards the size of a dining room in a large house, a
soil with an expression. Within a stone throw of this aforementioned vineyard
you have a similar sized vineyard, however one wine is priced at 5 Euros and
the other at 300 Euros. Not because the light is better, or the climate is so
different, but because the soil is superior and everything is working in harmony.
The New World is developing its wine regions where everything needs to occur
instantaneously. The development of viticultural land is determined by the
economy, excel spreadsheets, the financial manager, profitability and real
estate values. Europe’s wine regions were developed around 500 years ago, and
before this they had a thousand years without these modern day pressures,
such as marketing and branding. The varieties growing in Europe were planted
first and foremost as a function of the development of time. These grapes are
best suited to their chosen soils, not because of the economy, nor profitability,
nor a fashion created by newspapers 18000 kms away. These producers looked
at their climate, their disease pressures, their soil behaviour and cultural values
and this information determined that specific plants, varieties and vines on their
soils would make the expression of their place.
Eben Sadie’s unique philosophy on wines and their expressions of their place
have yielded world acclaim through two of South Africa’s most rare and most
highly rated wines, Columella and Pilladius.
BLOG POST continued...