Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon (Kab-bur-neh Saw-vin-yan)

This grape is the most important International Varietal in Tuscany these days.  One would think that it does have quite a recent history in the region, but actually, Cabernet Sauvignon has been an important grape for quite some time.  The region of Carmignano, D.O.C.G. as of 1990, is located in Northwest Tuscany on the eastern slopes within the Chianti Monte Albano commune, and has been using Cabernet Sauvignon into its blend for hundreds of years.  In 1716, the Carmignano region was designated, along with Chianti, as a original controlled production zone by Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici.  After the phylloxera epidemic in the late 19^th Century, many producers found refuge in this variety within their vineyards as a means to begin to recover and produce quality wines again.

More widely recognized these days for Cabernet Sauvignon is the coastal region of Bolgheri in the Northern Maremma.  Here you have the fabled story of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and the Tenuta San Guido estate, the home of Sassicaia.  From this site, where a small plot of Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in 1944 by Mario, you have the birth of the famed ‘Supertuscan’ wines some 20 years later.  The 1968 Sassicaia, the first vintage released to the public market, is the original ‘Supertuscan’ wine.  Many have followed in these footsteps and as of 2010 there are about 50 producers within the Bolgheri D.O.C. region.  While not all ‘Supertuscan’ wines are Cabernet Sauvignon based, the majority are-including most of the big names like Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia, Grattamacco Rosso, Guado al Tasso, etc.  Cabernet Sauvignon has proved itself to be such a quality grape in Tuscany that it has spread throughout the region.  Many Chianti and Chianti Classico wines will have a percentage blended in, as well as many of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines.  The grape is also gaining a strong preference in the Southern Maremma as well, where many of the producers have found it to do quite well in the warm southern sites.  While still Sangiovese territory, a large quantity of high class Maremma Toscana I.G.T. bottles containing majority Cabernet Sauvignon are continuing to grow in the market. 

The grape itself is a small berry with a thick skin naturally high in tannin compounds, thus the dark colors and high tannins inherit in the wines derived from Cabernet Sauvignon.   Like all wines, the productions methods will alter the flavors, but this Sommelier looks for the common characteristics of dark berries backed by some form of vegetative qualities and a strong mineral impression.  The grape does best on gravelly soil rich in hard minerals, thus its success in Bordeaux-especially the Haut Medoc- as well as the hills of Bolgheri and in California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys.  The wine is often aged in oak barrels which will impart notes ranging from smoke and toast to vanilla, cedar, and cigar box qualities.  I also look for mint/eucalyptus notes in addition, as well as notes of balsamic vinegar in the Cabernet Sauvignon based wines from Tuscany. 

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