Cabernet Sauvignon

Red variety - Cabernet Sauvignon

• General: This grape variety must not be missing on any wine list or in any wine-growing country around the world. Of the 200,000 hectares planted worldwide, more than a quarter (55,000 hectares) are in French wine-growing regions, especially in the stronghold of Bordeaux, as well as in almost all European wine-growing countries. In addition, Cabernet Sauvignon is strongly represented in the New World and is only overtaken by Merlot in terms of cultivated area. According to a DNA analysis in 1997, the grape variety goes back to a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The part of the name Sauvignon is derived from the French "sauvage", meaning "wild", and refers to the direct descent from wild vines that was assumed in the past. The Institute for Vine Breeding at the Geisenheim Research Institute is the only registered breeder of this variety in Germany. Over the long ripening period, the small berries concentrate a unique aroma and tannin reservoir for deep dark wines with great development potential.
• Cluster: The long, shouldered grapes are small to medium-sized. The small, round, black berries have firm flesh, a typical wax coating and a thick hard berry skin. On the palate, the grapes are reminiscent of violets and rowan berries and show an astringent tannin ripeness.
• Wine: When vinified as a single varietal, it shows a clearly recognisable aroma of blackcurrant, green pepper, black pepper, cedar and cloves, as well as an unusually deep red colour that shades into violet. Depending on the vintage and bottle maturity, the distinct tannin structure appears young, rough and somewhat gruff, smoothing out into soft, velvety tannins with increasing maturity. Cabernet Sauvignon has a great storage capacity and is suitable for a long barrique or wooden barrel ageing.
• Cultivation: On the light gravel, quartz and coarse sandy soils of the Médoc and the Graves, the variety is harvested as one of the late varieties. In years with late and wet autumn weather or on heavy soils, full ripeness is difficult to achieve. Excellent qualities were achieved on lean dry soils, when also working with low-growing rootstocks and short pruning.