A World Of Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting: The Wines

In a recent post I characterized the qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon and its place in the varietal firmament. Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes exhibit different characteristics in differing soil and climatic conditions. For example, cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon wines tend to show notes of green capsicum and cedarwood while the same varietal in warmer temperatures tends to express blackberry and black olive notes. In an effort to explore and investigate this phenomenon, I pulled together a tasting that I labeled A World of Cabernet. This tasting was held at Vines on Sand Lake Road in Orlando on June 25th, 2011.

The tasting panel for this investigation included some of the more notable Orlando-area wine collectors and they contributed all of the wines for the event. The requirements for a wine to be included in the tasting regime were as follows: (i) originate in one of the designated wine regions; (ii) have a minimum of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon in the finished product; and (iii) be a minimum of five years old.

For the purpose of this tasting the wines were divided into regional flights: Bordeaux; Washington State/Chile/Bolgheri; Napa/Sonoma; and Australia.

In upcoming posts I will discuss the regions, estates, and tasting notes with special emphasis on regional differences.