For this tasting I used the beautiful Bordeaux glass of Prizma from Schott Zwiesel, it’s a glass that pleases the eye with its sophisticated lines inside the bowl that not only look pretty when I swirl the glass but they also help with aeration, releasing the aroma of the wine.
Now let’s try some Cabernet Sauvignon! I tried the interesting Noble Vines Collection 337 Cabernet Sauvignon Lodi California 2018. They are called Noble Vines as the grapes come from vine stocks from esteemed vineyards, including the grand châteaux of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Alsace. The name of the wine uses the number to identify the vine stock. Lodi, California, is known as the area which produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, the ground is mostly cobblestone soils and the area has a cold climate. They use sustainable farming practices to ensure that the noble vines are given the best of care. The 337 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the vine stock that originated in the great châteaux of Bordeaux, France. It has an exceptional pronounced aroma of black fruit character, blackcurrants, blackberries, black cherries, spicy black pepper, vanilla, toasty oak, earth, and leather, it amazes me how many layers of aroma can be expressed in this wine. On the palate it was fresh fruit coating the whole palate, and the layer of all expressions in the aroma was beyond measure with a very good balance of medium-plus acidity and high tannin that is very round and smooth. I am in love with this wine! This shows how a good Cabernet Sauvignon comes from excellent terroir and great winemaking.
From California to France, I take you to the Barton & Guestier Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2019 under the classification of Pays Doc IGP. Thomas Barton and Daniel Guestier were the first company that offered all the great French wines under one name. It has a beautiful colour of deep ruby with purple on the rim. A good intensity of aroma mixing with ripe black fruits, blackcurrants, blackberries, with notes of vanilla and liquorice. Medium acidity with high tannin but round and smooth on the palate and the sensation of velvety tannins on your gum gives a tingling sensation on your palate. There is a lot of minerality in the wine, I guess from the influence of the Mediterranean Sea in the Languedoc Roussillon shows in the wines. It has a long fruity aftertaste with notes of vanilla and liquorice.
Last but not least, I take you to explore a South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified in Bali by Hatten Winery, The Two Islands Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. The grapes come from a selected vineyard and are aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months on lees. I love oak barrels and their show in the wines, expressive black fruit character with delicious vanilla, toasty, balanced tannin and acidity. Creamy and juicy.
Since Cabernet Sauvignon is big and bold in flavour you need to pair it with big and bold food flavours. Of course it is easy to pair with almost all the red meat. The meatiness and juice of red meat goes very well with the pronounced high tannin of the wine. The fattier steak like ribeye and sirloin, served rare to medium-rare, so the fat in the meat will cut through the high tannin in the wines. Mushrooms are another food that are good to pair with the wine, the earthy mushroom is grilled with butter and garlic to complement the earthy and sometimes meaty flavour of the wine. But don’t forget the cheese, the hard and aged cheese will be delicious paired with this wine. Age in cheese goes well with age in wine. My personal version of the best pairing is a big fat juicy burger with Cabernet Sauvignon, can’t go wrong!
Kertawidyawati
WSET Certified Educator / Head of Hatten Education Center
Check www.kertawidyawati.id as Widya just recently launched the fun education card deck for easy and fun learning.
www.nowjakar ta.co.id | March 2022