Every birth out of wedlock is not regrettable. So is not every fruit of adultery. Swirl, sniff and sip a good Cabernet Sauvignon to see how true a word that is. A lovechild of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, Cab’s saga has forever been one of dramatic serendipity. #uncookedwords #wine
Thick-skinned, versatile and late ripening Cab Sauvignon is a vine that like a survivor braves the elements to yield a rich wine of delectable Tanins, restrained acidity and a particular talent to develop varied notes in the confines of oak. Receptivity to flavours soon made it popular with the prolific winemakers of Bordeaux who used Cab as the skeleton of iconic Bordeaux Blend. Fussiness verging on intolerance is what earns a wine prestige [read Snob-value]. ‘Cab Sauv’ remained a plebeian instead proudly in dispossession of everything unique or haughty.
Here is how my tongue found some of its variants during a tasting of New World Cabs. [And, I agree to having often found telling black from black much easier than distinguishing variants of one wine.] Cabernet Sauvignon from Fratelli is recommended in earnest to those who intend to quit wines pronto. With a jarringly jammy and peevishly lingering taste this cab made me hate Tannin like never before. MAN Family Wines 'Ou Kalant' Cabernet from Coastal region of South Africa reprised Fratelli on a lower scale. I can never delight in a Tanin that sabotages a bouquet of flavours from unfolding. Mantes Reserva 2016 had the bests of all in a perfect poise. Endowed with a subtle nose of blackberries rounding off the bolder ones of oak and spices, this hefty wine proved brisk on the palate when briefly decanted, with an encouraging level of Tanin that doesn’t upstage others. The Laira from Coonawarra, Australia allegedly owes its edge to native Red soil. I found it annoyingly austere, and parading a host of forgettable virtues but none of the vices I take to. Having got the better of the rest by a long mark, Mantes Reserva was one that took the biscuit that evening almost uncontested.
Who says bastards don’t make parents proud?
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