Cabernet sauvignon is a black grape variety, and one of the most recognizable names among consumers. There was a time in the late eighties and the nineties when cabernet sauvignon was frequently treated as a synonym for red wine, largely because of the sudden popularity of California cabernets. It's not an ancient variety; its history apparently goes back only as far as the eighteenth century, when it was a popular grape in France's Médoc region. Researchers at the University of California at Davis in the 1990s, under the direction of Dr. Carole Meredith, determined via DNA testing that cabernet sauvignon is a cross of cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc.
California put American cabernet sauvignons "on the map," so to speak, in the 1976 Paris Blind Tasting, where a number of France's best wine-tasting experts were gathered together by English wine importer Steven Spurrier. Spurrier, who made his living exporting French wines, was confident that in a blind taste test experienced French wine experts would naturally find French wines superior to their American counterparts. In both white and red tasting panels, California wines captured the honors, including a California cab, the 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars cabernet sauvignon won the red category. So confident was Spurrier that French wines would be victorious, that he invited a reporter from Time magazine. That Paris blind tasting contest put California wines firmly on the map, and subsequent taste tests continued to confirm California cabs as equal or better to their French counterparts. The American public, filled with Bicentennial fervor, adopted California wines, particularly cabs, and their popularity has not waned since.
Cabernet sauvignon is a popular grape for growers in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, South America (especially Chile), South Africa, and particularly, California, where it is still the most popular red wine variety. It thrives in moderately warm, semi-arid regions, with well-drained soils, and favors a long growing season. It's surprisingly hardy, and forgiving, as grapes go, and does well where more delicate varietals fail. Quite often the vines are so heavy with fruit, that in some vineyards the bunches are hand-culled while the grapes are still green. Cabernet sauvignon is actually a logical grape for planting in Washington, which shares the same latititude as Bordeaux, the most popular Cabernet Sauvignon growing region in France. Cabernet sauvignon was initially planted in Washington's Columbia valley in the early sixties by Associated Vintners, better known today as Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, using vines cloned from Oregon vine stock.
Sometimes when the growing season is a little too short, the grapes lend a slightly "green" herbal flavor, often compared to green peppers, to the wine. One of the most common associations you'll see with Washington cabernet sauvignon in reviews is a reference to "herbal" or green overtones. If the grapes are left on the vine to over-ripen, the wine sometimes is a little sweet; it's been compared by some to stewed currants. The tannic overtones associated with Cabernets are not necessarily a fault either; they help shape and add interest to the fruit overtones the grape is known for.
Because cabernet sauvignons tend to age well, they are one of the most popular "collector" wines, which has served to keep the prices inclining steadily. The fact that cabs age well have also contributed to their popularity as ingredients in blended wines. Cabernet sauvignon is exceedingly popular as a blend element, in Bordeaux, as well as in the so-called Meritage wines of America. Cabernet sauvignon, especially in the last ten years or so, has done particularly well in cabernet sauvignon - Merlot blends. The natural qualities of the cabernet sauvignon grape lend wines two essential qualities; the "fruit" notes so very much associated with cabs, and then the naturally occurring tannins, which serve to keep cabernet sauvignon from becoming too sweet to be interesting.
Traditionally cabernet sauvignon is paired with steak, roasts or robustly flavored entrées. I favor Cabernet with a good burger, pot roast, or hearty tomato based dishes as well, though the Cabernet sauvignons I like the best tend to be eminently drinkable on their own, and fabulous with a good dark 70% or better cacao chocolate.
There is a Washington cabernet Sauvignon to suit every palate and pocket book—and I do mean every. You can find highly rated limited quantity Washington cabernet sauvignon like this Quilceda Creek Vintners 2006 Cabernet sauvignon, which retails for $180.00 a bottle. If that's a bit rich for your pocket, there's a 2004 old vines Sineann Block One Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails around $70.00 a bottle. There's a considerable number of wines and wineries to choose from in the $30.00 to $20.00 range; including a 2005 Columbia Crest Cabernet Reserve, that lists for $27.00, (but with a little alert shopping can be found for $15.00), Gordon Brothers Family Winery has a well thought of 2005 cabernet sauvignon that retails for $20.00. Careful shopping can be well worth the effort, especially at this time of year, when wineries and retailers both are having spring sales to make room for new stock in the months to come. There are, moreover, a fair number of very affordable cabernet sauvignons from Columbia Crest, Hogue, Ste. Michelle, and Kiona, which retail between $10.00 and $20.00. There are in fact enough cabs from Washington that I expect to be exploring the range for quite some time.