Seeing this deep red cab in the middle of the summer made me almost long for chillier days. Almost. It’s been a fairly wet summer here in Seattle so it wasn’t fooling me yet. I’ll be honest; the label on this one was kind of throwing me off. It looked kind of like an earthworm and not in the least bit appetizing. But, once the country ribs were on the smoker, I was more than excited to crack it open.
While everyone knows of Cabernet Sauvignon, I thought I might do a bit of a deep dive on this grape varietal and see if I could learn anything new.
Like some of the best things in the food world, Cabernet Sauvignon happened by complete accident. A combination of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes occurred in France and what a happy accident! *
The grape is known for its durability and high tannins. * Durability meant growing it was easier and it would be more resistant to disease. Higher tannins meant longer aging times. Wine growers started adopting and planting it rapidly. Cabernets are also usually on the higher end in terms of alcohol content which makes them better for pairing with heavier foods.
This wine was from Paso Robles, California and sampled on August 6, 2019. The deep maroon color made the wine seem almost thick. I smelled super dark fruits, and herbaceous bell pepper. The first taste brought the blackest of plums to mind. This wine was full of the grippiest of tannins. They were clinging to my cheeks and helped me also discern a little bit of a chocolate taste. This wine had legs for days! There was some leather coming through as well. It was all too overpowering with the pork and it completely drowned out the broccoli. This wine needed the heftiest of meats. It was almost a meal on it’s own.
I gave this wine a rating of 3.0. Maybe the weather was too hot or the pork was too light to compliment this wine well. It lingered a bit too long for me.
Common Flavors:
- Dark fruits
- Cherries
- Tobacco
- Green Pepper
* Sources: