Cabernet Sauvignon takes time. Like Chardonnay, much of its charm is expressed after quite a few years of bottle age. In its youth, Cabernet Sauvignon can be astringent and flat, but over time, flavors of coffee-toffee, caramel and fragrant cigar box emerge, often coupled with a little sweet herb.
The aromas in older Cabernet Sauvignons are not for everyone. Many prefer the fresh black cherry/black currant fruit that Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates in its youth, while others collect these wines and store them away for a decade before popping a cork, gleefully anticipating the savory aromas that have been created over time.
In the mouth, Cabernet can have liveliness and even a degree of richness, yet usually finishes with firm astringency. Some of the aroma and flavor descriptors most typically found in Cabernet Sauvignon are:
| Typical Cabernet Sauvignon Smell and/or Flavor Descriptors | |
|---|---|
| Varietal Aromas/Flavors | Processing Bouquets/ Flavors |
| Fruit: black currant, blackberry, black cherry | Oak (light): vanilla, sweet wood, coconut |
| Herbal: bell pepper, asparagus (methoxypyrazine), green olive | Oak (heavy): oak, smoke, toast, tar |
| Spice: ginger, green peppercorn, pimento | Bottle Age: cedar, cigar box, musk, mushroom, earth, leather |
Tasting Cabernet Sauvignon—or any other kind of wine—involves more than just your sense of taste; it also involves sight, smell, and a certain kind of touch.
Hold your glass up to the light. Color can vary substantially, even within the same varietal.
Reds range in color from pale red to dark brown. White wines appear golden, sometimes with elegant green tints.
Swirl the wine in your glass; it will release a range of delightful aromas. Then take a quick whiff for an initial impression. Finally, smell more deeply and slowly. You might notice flowers or fruit, an earthy scent or an oaky aroma.
What aromas do you smell?
Take a sip of wine, and then let it rest in your mouth for a moment before swallowing. Now consider the taste. Do you taste fruits or spices? Does the taste go away quickly or linger? Is it tart or sweet?
Practice helps distinguish the different qualities of individual wines.
Take another sip of wine. Before swallowing, take in a little air. This will activate your senses further. Notice how the wine feels in your mouth. How does the touch affect your tongue and throat as you swallow? Was the feel of the wine lean or rich, velvety or smooth, silky or sticky?
