Why cabernet sauvignon is the long-lived king of grapes

Cabernet’s global dominance has been growing, from 2pc of the world’s vineyard area in 1990 to 5pc in 2017 to nearly 7pc in 2021. It is the most widely grown grape variety in California, and accounts for 20pc of Chile’s vineyards.

Curiously, although its world domination began in France — and Bordeaux’s left-bank Medoc in particular, where it produces some of the world’s best wines — it is outgrown there by its regular blending partner and half-sibling, merlot, which ripens more easily. But while merlot may dominate in terms of France’s vineyard area, cabernet sauvignon rules in prestige and influence.

Size matters. In cabernet’s case, being a small grape with thick skin gives it a high concentration of phenolic compounds, translating as deep colour, complex aromas and concentrated tannins. It’s those tannins that allow cabernet-based wines to age so well, helping to preserve the wine while developing the tertiary flavours that make aged wine a gastronomic treat.

We experience tannins as a feeling rather than a taste. Imagine drinking a cup of tea from a pot that’s been slowly stewing on a range. That astringent effect that has your mouth dried out and your gums sticking together? Those are tannins at work. Tannins bind with minerals, starches and protein — making tannic wines a classic match for reds meat, but also helping to slow down decomposition in many foods and beverages, just as they protect the leaves, fruit and barks of many plants.

In well-balanced red wines, tannins and acidity don’t dominate but support by providing structure to frame the fruit. Sometimes young cabernet sauvignon can be like that stewed tea, with aggressive astringency drying out our gums. Oak ageing softens those edges, as does blending with fleshier, fruitier grape varieties. (Hello, merlot!)

Cabernet sauvignon is a versatile variety that grows well in many climates, although too cold and it produces wines that are green, lean and mean; too hot and they can be overbearingly sweet and opulent. This relatively late-ripening grape benefits from moderating influences to steady that ripening: heat-retaining soils like Medoc’s gravels or Coonawarra’s terra rossa, or the cooling effects of California’s morning fogs or the Andes’ mountain air. Today’s selection gives a mini tour of some of its successes.

Wines of the week

Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte 2020, Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 14pc, €43 (€34.50 with Tesco Club Card) Tesco has upped its fine wine game in range and value. One of this Grand Cru Classé estate’s second wines, this cabernet-merlot blend (60:40) benefits from the same gravelly soils, winemaking process and attention to detail as their top wine, with 14 months in barrels (20pc new oak) from their own coopers. Expect bold blackcurrant and chocolate character with silky elegance and great length and ageability; a baby but drinking well already. Tesco

Wynns Coonawarra Estate ‘The Gables’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Australia, 13.5pc, €24.95 A great-value introduction to an iconic Coonawarra cabernet producer, this is dense and silky with polished tannins and restrained French oak framing fresh, vibrant black fruits. A beauty to pique your curiosity for their Black Label (€43). Fallon & Byrne, Grapevine Dalkey, Barnhill Stores, Matson’s, Mitchell & Son; mitchellandson.com

Mendel Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Mendoza, Argentina, 14.5pc, €28 Yes, Mendoza has become synonymous with malbec, and Mendel makes superb expressions, but this supple beauty with its concentrated cassis and black chocolate character from old vines in Perdriel (Lujan de Cuyo) is a reminder not to dismiss Argentina’s once-dominant cabernet. Celtic Whiskey Shop; celticwhiskeyshop.com

Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 13.5pc, €25.95 Beautifully expressive cabernet from this family estate’s own grapes, with concentrated black fruits enriched with mocha notes, subtle mint and sweet spice, and a little petit verdot bringing plush power. The Reserva (€39.95) is worth the step up if you’re feeling like a splash. Sweeney’s; sweeneysd3.ie, Thomas’s of Foxrock and selected independents

Santa Rita Medalla Real ‘Gold Medal’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Alto Jahuel, Chile, 13.5pc, €13.20 From a Maipo Valley sub-region outside Santiago, with warm, well-drained gravels and cooled at night by the nearby Andes, this single-vineyard blend with a little cabernet franc is rich and velvety with plush black fruit and toasty oak spice. Dunnes Store; dunnesstoresgrocery.com