Identifying Cabernet Sauvignon Across The World

 In a recent tasting, a group of us compared premium Cabernet Sauvignon across France, Italy, Australia and the US. A common view is that old world and new world Cabernet is becoming more difficult to distinguish as warmer climate in Europe makes these wines more 'new world', while efforts to reduce ripeness in Australia and the US makes these wines more 'old world'. As we found out, the Cabernet world is more complicated than this and distinctions remain.

Starting with premium French Cabernet (Bordeaux), the most important issue is that one should not open a bottle less than 10 years old. This is the minimum time for its complexity to unfold and the new oak to integrate. So what is typical? Well, in comparison with the Italian Cabernets (we tasted four very good ones), it is the 'completeness' of the wine. Little expense is spared in the winemaking process. The tannin and oak management are excellent, and all this leads often to a house style. If you have been lucky enough to drink a number of vintages of Mouton and Lafite, you would never mix them up in a blind tasting although they are neighbours. 

In comparison with the 'new world', the main difference is the shape of the wine in the mouth and acidity. Acidity is higher in the French wines, and the wines tend to be more linear. The fruit weight has increased with warmer vintages, but the shape of the wine is still 'old world'.

I do not have great experience with Italian Cabernet, and the tasted wines (San Leonardo, Grattamacco, Ornellaia, Guado Al Tasso)  were quite different from each other. Yet they shared characteristics, too. Overall, they were less polished than the French wines, not always balanced, some showing green character and the famous hole on the mid-palate. They had character. As one participant mentioned: "The Italian wines show the vineyard, the French wines the winery." The Ornellaia is perhaps an outlier, being very elegant, and also very sweet, playing to the American palate. Similar to the French wines, acidity in Italian Cabernet tends to be pronounced and the wines long and linear rather than broad.

We tasted only one Napa Cabernet, but it showed the expected profile. These wines are sweet, ripe, and broad in the mouth, even for 'middle of the road' wines as this one was. The blockbuster wines show extremes on these characteristics plus high alcohol.

How does Australia fit in? The key give away is the subdued acidity in most Cabernet, leading to plush wines. They are not on steroids as Napa, but they tend to be more 'sun-kissed' than the European versions and riper.

 

Two Exciting Cabernets To Compare: Achaval-Ferrer and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

I missed World Malbec Day, which was 10 days ago. However, it is a good marketing idea. Therefore, belatedly, I pulled the best Malbec out of my cellar.

Strictly speaking, the 2011 Achaval Ferrer Quimera is not a Malbec, but a Malbec blend, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a bit of Petit Verdot making up the remaining 50%.

This wine is utterly modern, with freshness and superb elegance. It is clean, crisp and very defined, with a shape which runs down the palate, rather than engulfing every possible taste bud. Blackcurrant flavours, black cherry, blackberry and white pepper blend in with fine grained tannins. The finish is very elegant. 

The different grape contributions are seamless. What is surprising is that only the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from high altitude, but there is no sweetness, thickness or over-ripeness in this well made wine.

Score: 95/+++

One of the exciting, and still affordable wines I brought back from a trip to Napa Valley around 2010 was the 2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. (Stag's Leap Vineyards) Cabernet Sauvignon. This is of course the winery which won the legendary 1976 tasting challenge against Bordeaux wines (with the Cask 23). The 1973 vintage of this wine was named an 'Object that made America' by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Like with Australian Shiraz, there is always some doubt how well Napa Cabernet Sauvignon can age. And in 10 year old tastings, the scores are mostly lower than on release. However, on opening the bottle, the signs are good. The colour is dark and looks fresh.

This wine comes from a warmer climate than the Quimera, and it shows. The wine is darker, richer, and broader. The flavours are quite complex. Red- and blackcurrant, plum, and cedar mix with earthy notes, cinnamon and chocolate. The structure is holding up, and the balance is good. Coarser tannins lead to a full-bodied finish.

Score: 93/++

Choosing between these two wines really comes down to preferences. The freshness and raciness of the Quimera vs. the richness and full mouthfeel of the S.L.V.  

Swimming Against The Mainstream

When a tasting of Cullen, Bindi, and Ata Rangi wines is announced, you can't be anything but excited. I certainly was, given I have wines of  these producers in my cellar. But it is interesting to note what happens when three things come together
- High expectations set you up for a fall
- The setting of the tasting, including glasses is poor
- Some of the wines are not outstanding

I was aware of the influence of the first two factors and tried to be objective (from my point of view), as much as I could. This is what I thought:

The Bindi wines tasted are new labels and  in part from new blocks of the home vineyard.
- The 2015 Kostas Rind Chardonnay (formerly Composition Chardonnay) was very floral and a bit broad (88 points)
- The 2015 Dixon Pinot Noir ( formerly Composition Pinot Noir), which includes fruit ftom a new block K), tasted of kirsch and was very young and fruity (89 points)
These wines are too expensive for what they offer

In some quarters, the 2014 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir has been described as even better than the sensational 2013. I tasted
- The 2014 Crimson Pinot Noir. This is not a bad wine for a second label. It is savoury, with mushroom and licorice flavours on the palate. The wine is a little light (91 points)
- The 2014 Pinot Noir. The bouquet smells of roses, quite intense and unusual. On the palate, the mouthfeel is balanced, but not huge. The wine is savoury with good length and dry tannins leading to an expanding finish. This wine will increase complexity over time (94 points)

With Cullen, I have a mixed relationship. I simply do not 'get' the Kevin John Chardonnay, and while I appreciate the increased delicacy of the Cabernet, I wonder if some depth has come out of the wine.
- The 2014 Kevin John Chardonnay shows peach flavours and good lashings of (high quality) oak. I find the wine a bit broad (92 points)
- I was impressed with the 2014 Diana Madeline Cabernet. It has good depth of blackberry and blueberry fruit. The flavours penetrate without being heavy. It is a very harmonious wine with firm dry tannins on the finish (95 points)   

Hentley Farm Tasting - James Halliday's Winery of the Year

It sometimes astounds me how a winery which produces exceptional wines can also turn out very ordinary stuff. Sure, there are younger vines, higher yields, less expensive oak etc., but the difference seems to be larger than that - and why do it? An expansive tasting of the Hentley Farm wines illustrates this point. Following are brief notes of the wines tasted.

2013 Cabernet - Nice fruit, dusty tannins. A bit simple, fairly flat mouthfeel - 87 points

2012 Grenache - Fruity, Bubblegum - 85 points

2012 The Quintessential (Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz) - More depth in this wine, but still dominated by upfront fruit - 91 points

2011 The Beast Shiraz - A lighter style than normal, blackberry flavours, very good tannin integration - 92 points

2011 Clos Otto Shiraz - A remarkable wine from this difficult vintage, very elegant, with silky tannins. This wine, from now over 30 year vines is quickly becoming a benchmark Barossa Shiraz - 95 points

2009 The Beauty Shiraz/Viognier - Quite aromatic, good depth of fruit, firm tannins - 93 points

2009 The Beast Shiraz - Concentrated fruit, tannins well integrated, long finish - 95 points

2008 Clos Otto Shiraz - A big core of fruit, slightly too ripe, chocolate, soft tannins - 94 points

A final comment: The top wines are impressive, but the prices for all wines are on the high side.

  

Rootstock Sydney 2014, part 1

Sounds a bit like Woodstock, doesn't it? Well, it was a bit dreamlike and producers were certainly very evangelical about their biodynamic approaches. Rootstock is a wine fair of not organic, but biodynamic winemakers. 70 wineries from around the world were represented. It was certainly great to speak to Vanya Cullen, Julian Castagna and Ron Houghton of Jasper Hill all within 30 minutes.

My overall conclusion about the wines was that there is quite a big divide: many wines showed vibrant fruit, but lacked structure, and I don't give them much aging potential. Then there are those who display solid winemaking technique and experience. Their wines were quite exceptional. In my experience, biodynamic soil treatment improves the freshness and vitality of the fruit, but I am less convinced about the more 'atmospheric' aspects of biodynamics. Yes the moon has a big influence on tides, but noticeable differences in the wine in the glass? Really? Be that as it may, this is what I found:

Jasper Hill was impressive with Georgia's and Emily's Paddock from 2012. The alcohol is now peared to about 13.5% and the fruit comes to the fore. In particular the Emily's Paddock is a great wine, with incredible complexity: dark fruits, leather and savoury characteristics. The meaty flavours are gone. Power is now balanced by elegance (95 points).

The 2011 Cullen Diana Madeline has beautifully lifted aromas. This wine is light and intense at the same time, with silky tannins and a long finish (95 points).

A winery not so well known, but doing great things is Ferdinando Principiano from Piedmont. This is a relatively new winery (20 years), and the move to biodynamics more recent. His 2012 Barbera d'Alba Laura is fresh, and the acids are beautifully balanced, which cannot be said about every Barbera (93 points). The 2009 Barolo Serralunga is a blend from several plots of limestone soil. This brings out the fragrance and minerality of the wine, almost like a Burgundy (93 points). The flagship 2009 Barolo Ravera is from  old grapes grown on sandy soil. This wine is more intense and powerful, but I found it had a 'smelly' aftertaste.

A big discovery was Cloudburst Wine for me. It is based in Margaret River, just south of Woodlands. This means the golden mile for Cabernet. They started in 2005 and are really boutique with a production of 400 cases. The 2012 Chardonnay emphasizes texture over fruit, but did not do much for me (88 points). However, the 2011 Cabernet was a revelation. Intensity and purity of the fruit made this wine stand out. The wine had good length, too. It remains to be seen, how well it will hold up (95 points). Its predecessor won several trophies at the Margaret River wine show last year. Now the bad news: this wine is $250 per bottle. Not bad for a new producer. The wines are aimed at flashy US restaurants. Scarcity rules, I guess.      

Chateau Pontet-Canet

Chateau Pontet-Canet has been reported to be one of the main movers up the quality rankings in Bordeaux. Its wine is known to be on the bigger and more intense side.

I was therefore interested to see how the 2002 Chateau Pontet-Canet would perform, a year in which getting the grapes ripe was a challenge for many. The wine comes from Pauillac, Cabernet Sauvignon heartland. The wine's colour is very dark blue. Blackcurrant flavours dominate, and I certainly did not detect any greenness in the wine. However, this Bordeaux shows a frequent problem, namely it is quite flat on the mid palate. Overall, the structure of the wine is good, with firm tannins holding it well together, the drawback is the fruit, a little flat in the middle, and a little stale on the finish.

Score: 88/0

Lake's Folly Cabernet

Lake's Folly is an oxymoron. It produces a highly regarded Cabernet , yet the Hunter is known for Shiraz. It also produces a good Chardonnay in 'Semillon country'. It must be the very specific site that allows this outcome.

The 1998 Lake's Folly Cabernet tastes of blackcurrant, violets, tar and many other things. The wine is earthy. Lake's Folly has a reputation for long lasting Cabernets. I have sometimes been disappointed with their wines once they are 15 years plus old. This one is perfect to drink now. It is a mature wine with a lot of interesting things happening, including spices and silky tannins. I would not cellar this wine any longer, though.

Score: 94/++