Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon, like Chardonnay, is now a truly international grape variety. It produces wine which varies enormously in quality and style but which always carries a distinctive signature - albeit one that spans a range of flavours from blackcurrant to cedar. Its home, of course, is Bordeaux, where it is the most important grape variety on the left bank and hence the principle ingredient in the world’s most famous red wines. In marginal climates (like Bordeaux) the wine may well need a long time in the bottle to soften out. Because it is potentially quite harsh it is very often blended, especially with the other great red grapes of Bordeaux - Cabernet Franc and Merlot.