Cabernet Sauvignon

Perhaps the most successfully adapted quality red grape variety that has been planted within most of the warmer wine regions of the world.

Cabernet Sauvignon has a cassis and earthy character, often with elements of mint, smoke and pencil leads. Usually oak aged to add complexity, it is well structured and firmly balanced with a tannic backbone that can be softened by blending with Merlot (for fruit and ripeness) and Cabernet Franc (for colour) as it is in the Médoc region of Bordeaux.

Warmer regions, including the Languedoc, Australia and Chile, achieve a riper, softer style of Cabernet that does not require blending, however Bordeaux style blends often contribute complexity and finesse.