Kenwood Vineyards' cabernet grapes.Kenwood Vineyards.
Students in wine appreciation classes are often asked to identify wine styles based on classic descriptions. For instance, what’s a dry red wine with high levels of tannins and acidity and blackcurrant, black cherry and herbaceous notes (green pepper/mint) flavours?
That would be cabernet sauvignon, the most widely planted wine grape variety thanks to its ability to thrive in a broad range of warm and hot climates. Prized for the age-worthy wines it produces in California, Australia and parts of Bordeaux, notably properties located in the warmer Médoc region north of Bordeaux city, the variety has been planted in vineyards around the world, with success in Washington State, Argentina, Chile and South Africa.
But that description might not match what consumers have been finding in their bottles of cabernet sauvignon for the past decade. An increasing number of modern styles are ripe and sweet, rich and velvety, with discernable residual sugar. There aren’t any telltale herbaceous aromas. The acidity and tannin (components in wine that contribute to the drying sensation on your tongue) have been reduced to make a more generous and opulent style.
“I think that’s a huge disservice to educating consumers, which I believe is part of our responsibility,” says Kenwood Vineyard winemaker Mark Beaman, who has made wine in various parts of California since 2001. “Cabernet is the blackcurrants, that’s one of the classic elements, and then you can certainly branch out, based on your location, with the flavours that are there.”
The flavour of a wine depends on where the grapes are grown and specific winemaking practices used during production. Wine labels display a vintage date to identify the year that the grapes were grown. Depending on the weather during the growing season, the grapes could have been exposed to hot and dry or cool and wet conditions that would affect the ripening of the crop.
Some cabernet producers are increasingly leaning into winemaking practices, including equipment and additives designed to amplify richness and concentration of their finished wines. Embracing technology and additives to fine-tune sugar levels, acidity and overall character is legal in most regions and increasingly widespread in many jurisdictions.
One of the tricks of the trade is a grape-based additive called Mega Purple, which adds colour and additional sweetness to red wines. (It’s the winemaking equivalent of Auto-Tune and other pitch-correcting software that smooth out off-key notes in a singer’s vocal track.)
A dry wine typically has less than five grams of residual sugar, which is essentially sugar leftover after alcoholic fermentation. But producers are finding there’s a sweet spot for fashioning richer and fruitier styles of cabernet at every price point.
According to lcbo.com, which lists the lab analysis of the alcohol level and sugar content of many of the wines it sells, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, an expensive red wine that’s featured at high-end steak houses across North America, has 14.4 per cent alcohol by volume and 10 grams a litre of residual sweetness. Another popular premium example, the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon is reportedly 15 per cent alcohol and eight grams a litre, while the more affordable Apothic Cabernet Sauvignon’s analysis shows 13.5 per cent alcohol and 11 grams.
Fans of classic-style wines might find the bottles named above and others of their ilk too dense and syrupy (and port-like) in nature to qualify as cabernet sauvignon. Other wine lovers might be thrilled with their creamy and succulent styles even if they don’t deliver textbook cabernet character.
How can consumers know what to expect? There’s more transparency online at Liquor Control Board of Ontario and Société des alcools du Québec websites, which list the sugar content of most wines in their inventory. Other product descriptions at the LCBO, such as shelf tags and Vintages write-ups, use a rating system based on how sweet the wine tastes. Extra dry (XD) identifies wines with “no perceived sweetness.” Dry (D) refers to ones with “no distinct sweetness,” which like the modern condition of cabernet sauvignon seems open to interpretation.
Here are five wines that I believe deliver classic cabernet sauvignon character for anyone looking to lock in some benchmark styles.
Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (United States), $88.99
One of Napa’s first wineries, Freemark Abbey continues to build a reputation on the quality of its cabernet. Made in a full-bodied and richly structured style, this concentrated, complex and age-worthy red offers a core of ripe fruit, firm tannins and a rewarding finish. Drink now to 2039. (14.4 per cent abv, 2.7 g/litre r.s.) Available at the above price in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $81.99 in Saskatchewan.
Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (United States), $59.95
A full-bodied cabernet from a vineyard located on Sonoma Mountain, Kenwood’s Jack London cabernet offers the concentration you’d expect from a premium red from California with complexity and structure of top-flight Bordeaux wines. A core of rich, ripe fruit flavours is nicely accented by savoury, herbal and dark chocolate notes. Drink now or hold; this has the stuffing to age gracefully. Drink now to 2029. (14.5 per cent abv, three g/litre r.s.) Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta.
La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Argentina), $18.95
Made with cabernet sauvignon from estate vineyards in Mendoza, this reveals blueberry and blackberry fruit flavours as part of its generous character. Ripe, enjoyable and distinctively cabernet, this is one of the best examples for the price available to Canadian consumers. Drink now to 2025. (14 per cent abv, four g/litre r.s.) Available at the above price in Ontario, $18.99 in British Columbia and Manitoba, various prices in Alberta, $16.55 in Quebec, $21.99 in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, $20.98 in Newfoundland.
Rodney Strong Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (United States), $34.95
Rodney Strong continues to be one to watch for quality cabernet from Sonoma County. This label is produced from vineyards in Alexander Valley, which presents a rich, ripe and polished take on cabernet that really appeals. Drink now to 2026. (13.5 per cent abv, three g/litre r.s.) Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta, $34.99 in Nova Scotia, $37.49 in Prince Edward Island.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Australia), $47.95
Wynns has delivered classic cabernets that are cellar-worthy, yet relatively affordable, since 1954. The 2019 release is textbook Coonawarra cabernet, with bright dark fruit flavours that gain interest from mint, cedar/sandalwood and leather notes. That ripe fruit gives this instant appeal, but Wynns’s real wow factor comes with bottle age. Drink now to 2032. (14 per cent abv, two g/litre r.s.) Available at the above price in Ontario, $40.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $36.99 in Manitoba, $44.99 in Prince Edward Island.