The Wine's the Thing
Mitch Kornfeld
4/18

King Cab, Part V -- Cabernet Sauvignon Hops a Few Oceans

Last time I was in Italy so I'll start out by hopping over a stretch of the Mediterranean and visit Spain. Spain, like Italy, is the Old World so it has a great deal of acreage and many indigenous varieties, as well as many wine-growing regions. The use of Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain is somewhat similar to its use in Italy but on a smaller scale. The difference is the Spanish didn't have the image problems with their wines that the Italians did with cheap Chiantis, and whatever problems they did have they did not react by calling in the cabernet heavy cavalry.

Sure, there are commercial considerations in the picture, some cabernet must have been planted in Spain because of the cachet of the variety, but they didn't overdo it, and its use appears to be more honest experimentation than anything else.

Experimentation is an apt word because in order to try Spanish wines made with cabernet the "average" consumer will be experimenting with wines from regions within Spain that are not exactly household names, such as Navarra, La Mancha, (all right, so maybe that one is a household name) Penedès, Priorato, Ribera Del Duero, and Sardon Del Duero. Rioja is the best known wine region in Spain and though they are not exactly hidebound by tradition over there, they do have a history, and a track record, and undoubtedly some pride, so they haven't embraced bringing in cabernet or other Bordeaux varieties. This is understandable. If you said the leading wine region in France was Bordeaux, and you suggested to the Bordelais that they should plant some Tempranillo, Sangiovese, or Nebbiolo (the best native varieties of Spain and Italy) to upgrade their wines, what do you think they would say? Enough said. 

So if you are looking for Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain you have to look outside of Rioja. This is generally a good thing for the consumer as the lesser known regions usually aren't able to command the prices that the famous regions do, but that can change, and relatively quickly too. I remember when you could get a good Pinot Noir from the then (early 1980's) virtually unknown region of Santa Barbara County (California) for eight dollars. These days you can hardly touch them for under twenty, and they can go for much more.

Most cabernet plantings in Spain are relatively recent but there are some varietal Cabernet Sauvignons (as opposed to blends) that have been around a while, notably the Torres Gran Coronas Reserva and the Cabernet Sauvignon from Jean Leon. They have been on the scene since around the late 1960's. They are both from the Penedès region, and they will both set you back about $20. A couple of other Cabernet Sauvignons you might find come from Bodegas Albet I Noya, also in Penèdes, and from Marqués De Griñon, in La Mancha. They will probably be closer to $30 a bottle.

Using Cabernet in blends is popular among Spanish producers. Most often, but not always, they blend cabernet with Tempranillo -- 60/40 appears to be a popular ratio. An up and coming winery named Abadia Retuerta, from the Sardon Del Duero region makes a wine named Rivola that is 60% Tempranillo and 40% cabernet. A wine named Gran Creacion, from Bodegas Hermanos Morales (Morales Brothers Winery) in La Mancha is also a 60/40 Tempranillo/cabernet blend, and a wine named Vega Sindoa, from Bodegas Nekas in Navarra is 60% cabernet and 40% Tempranillo. These last two wines are both under $10. (I last saw the Vega Sindoa at Union Square Wines for $8.99.) The Vega Sindoa has the percentages of the cabernet and the Tempranillo prominently displayed on the front label. I find that really refreshing, especially after looking at Italian labels. The wine is very refreshing too. I don't detect any oak (I've tried the '97 and the'98) but the wine is quite fruity and really tastes good. It's a real charmer, a perfect bistro wine, and an excellent value.

There are new and exciting wines coming from Spain these days. The situation is analogous to Italy and the ascendancy of the Super Tuscans. In Tuscany they either use Sangiovese by itself or they blend it with French varieties. In Spain they make 100% Tempranillos or they blend with French varieties. The French varieties are of course led by Cabernet Sauvignon. Both countries also make varietal Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux variety blends, usually with cabernet in a leading role. The Spanish wines are less well known than the Super Tuscans so they are usually better values. Do yourself a favor and seek some out before they really get discovered.

Now it's time to cross an ocean and the equator and visit South America, specifically Chile and Argentina. I'll start by discussing some commonalities between the two countries then delve off into specifics.

The first thing that Chile and Argentina have in common (to a large extent) is the weather. Chile's weather is similar to California's. It's basically sunny all summer. Argentina is even sunnier. It is on the other side of the Andes Mountains and the barrier provided by the mountains keeps the Pacific rains from reaching. It is said that Mendoza Province, Argentina's wine making center, enjoys 350 days of sunshine a year. The Andes also provide for another commonality, and that's ample water run-off for irrigation. That's one of the reasons we see all of that Chilean fruit during the northern hemisphere's winter. Unfortunately what's good for commercial fruit production isn't good for wine quality. Irrigation can give nice big yields, but for wine, quantity varies inversely with quality. In other words, you can't make a high quality wine with grapes that are bloated with water. When the yields start coming down we will see better wines from the southern part of South America. With that said, one can find good wines that are made not so far from Tierra Del Fuego. Now let's look at the two countries individually and see if we can find a few of them.

Chile will always command some interest as a wine-producing nation because it is the only country in the world that produces all of its wine from Vitis Vinifera vines grown on their own roots. That statement may require some explanation. If you already know the explanation just skip down to the two hypothetical test plots.

Vitis Vinifera (the wine bearer) is the name of the species of the grape vine that makes all of the fine wines we know and love, all the Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, you name it. It is all one species and all the familiar varieties are just that, varieties of the one species. However, with a capital "H," virtually the world over, with rare exceptions, and with the major exception of Chile, all the Vinifera vines are grafted onto roots of different species of the genus Vitis. These roots originally came from the United States, specifically the northeast United States. This is because these roots are resistant to a particularly nasty parasitic insect that is also from the northeast United States called phylloxera, scientifically phylloxera vastatrix, phylloxera the destroyer. It attaches itself to the roots of the vines and will eventually suck the life out of the plant. It's said that an infestation of phylloxera will not affect the quality of the wine, but I'd call killing the plant affecting the quality. Phylloxera inadvertently traveled to Europe from the U.S. in about 1860 where it wiped out the vineyards. The only solution was to graft Vinifera vines onto American rootstocks that had evolved with phylloxera and were resistant to it. In other words all the famous wines of Europe, all of France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal, are basically grown on the same type of rootstock that produces Welch's grape juice. This applies worldwide except for Chile. Phylloxera has never gotten by the barriers of the Andes and the oceans. This is how come wine lovers understand why your baggage is checked for fruits and vegetables from other countries.

When I first started studying up on wine in the early and mid 1970's I came across references to pre- and post-phylloxera wines. Apparently there was quite a debate and not a few people who thought that pre-phylloxera wines were superior. The debate was pretty much moot even then, but if you want to drink a wine made from Vitis Vinifera grown on its own roots (again, with rare exceptions) you have to drink a wine from Chile.

In theory there is one way to settle the pre- and post-phylloxera debate, though I have the feeling that it would only start it again, as there are no absolutes in matters of taste, and that's to plant two test plots in Chile. One plot would be of ungrafted Vinifera and the other would be of grafted. If they are harvested at the same level of ripeness and made into wine in the exact same way, that should show which is better. This of course is completely hypothetical as I don't see any Chilean doing this because if the wine made from the grafted vines turned out to be better there would go Chile's claim to fame, so it's not about to happen.

So, you ask how are the Chilean wines, and the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons? They're good, sometimes quite good indeed, but they are definitely not great. I've been hearing about the potential of Chilean wines for quite a while but they still have not gotten to the promised land of top quality. I have my reservations about using numerical ratings for wines (I advise reading the reviews rather than relying on the numbers) but in this instance they are useful for illustrative purposes. I usually see Chilean wines receiving ratings in the mid-80's with the occasional 90 or 91. These ratings are not much better than those garnered from wines made on Long Island, New York. The first modern winery on Long Island started planting grapes in 1973, so Chile had a head start of well over a century. With a head start like that they should be doing better. The predictions have been that they will do better and I have to agree with those predictions. Foreign investment, notably French and American, have picked up since General Pinochet left office in 1987, and those investments will pay off (actually they're already paying off). Also, the international marketplace with its proverbial and powerful invisible hand will force the Chilean producers to improve quality. Meanwhile keep in mind that an $8 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that tastes like Cabernet Sauvignon is a good thing.

One to try for $8 or $9 that is good, reliable, and not hard to find is the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon from Concha y Toro. They've just changed the label and the bottle (to Bordeaux style from Burgundy, I much prefer Bordeaux, they are way better for stacking), but you'll recognize the devil (diablo) either way, he looks just like Martin Brodeur in full uniform. Well actually he doesn't, but I've been a New York Rangers fan for a good four decades (and I'm ready for them to win The Cup again in 2048, they win every 54 years, unlike the Red Sox), so what do you expect?

Some other good Chilean cabernets that are down around $10 are made by Casa Lapostolle, Cousino Macul, Dallas Conte, Errazuriz, Miguel Torres (The same Torres that makes wine in Penedès, Spain -- their inexpensive bottling is called Santa Digna), Mont Gras, Montes (Curico Valley Reserva), Santa Carolina (Maipo Valley Reserva) and Los Vascos. These firms usually make Reserve versions of these cabernets. The bottlings from Concha y Toro go under the name Don Melchor Private Reserve (they're about $40). The Errazuriz is called Don Maximiano Estate Reserva (about $25). The Los Vascos is simply called Reserva (about $15). The Cousino Macul is called Antiguas Reserva. The Casa Lapostolle is called Cuvée Alexandre (about $18) and the Santa Rita Reserve cabernet is called Casa Real (about $16).

Some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons of Chile show the results of foreign investment. Vina Almaviva is a joint venture between Concha y Toro and Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the famous First Growth Bordeaux. Sena is a joint venture between Errazuriz and Robert Mondavi Winery, an outfit of some renown from Napa Valley, California. Unfortunately the wines are pricey. The Sena is about $60 and the Puente Alto from Almaviva lists for $87. There are also a few other top cabernets from Chile. Montes makes a wine called Alpha M (about $60). Vina Quebrada de Macul makes a wine called Domus Aurea (about $50), and Miguel Torres makes Manso de Velasco Reserva (about $35).

It has been said that vintage years aren't that important for Chile and Argentina as they get plenty of sunshine every year. As long as one is buying $8 wines that is sound advice, but at $50 I'd confine my purchases to the higher quality vintages -- 1997 was very good, and 1999 looks to be excellent, but 1998 experienced heavy rains. It turns out that 1998 was one of those El Nino years (or was it La Nina, I forget; in any case I wish they would come up with more non-sectarian names for the phenomena, but we'll Passover that one).

Crossing the Andes we come to Argentina, where they don't have $60 cabernets, at least not yet. I recently saw a piece in the financial section of The New York Times (Saturday, March 10th if you feel compelled to look it up) about how foreign investment is starting to come into the Argentine wine industry in a big way, so those big price tag Cabernet Sauvignons will start arriving in about another decade. Meanwhile we can expect to see more wines exported from Argentina, which is a good thing because they have a nice variety of some good wines, all at reasonable prices. (Looking for a good, and different, picnic wine? Try an Argentine Torrontes. It tastes like a baby Gewurztraminer at $6 a bottle.) Generally, quality is a little behind Chile, but so are the prices. The best wines are only about $20, and the ones we commonly see are in the $7 to $10 range. As with Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon is their best wine. Unlike Chile, and just about everywhere else, their most abundant varietal red is Malbec. Malbec is one of the five red Bordeaux varieties. Outside of Argentina everyone agrees it's either number four or number five of the five in terms of quality, but its found a home in Argentina, where it does at least as well as anywhere in the world. (By the way, Chile is the only place where they grow the sixth red Bordeaux variety, that's right, sixth. Can you name it? Answer at the end.) You might come across a good $8 Malbec from a firm by the name of Norton. It's guaranteed to make a Honeymooners fan having a hamburger happy.

Argentina's best producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, and probably their best all around winery, is Bodega Winert. After Weinert the best cabernet producers that you are liable to find are Catena, Etchart, Toso, and Valentin Bianchi. At the lower price ranges look for: Chateau Mendoza, Finca Flichman, Navarro Correas, Norton, and Trapiche. Again, a cabernet rated in the 80's (okay, maybe the low 80's) that costs $7 to $10 is not a bad thing. Not everyone is made out of money.

For the last stop on this world tour I'm going to hop another ocean and go to Australia. (I was going to do cabernet in the state of Washington, but I've decided to save that for another time. For now suffice it to say Cabernet Sauvignon makes their best wine too.) Though there are some excellent cabernets from Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon is not their best red, that distinction belongs to Syrah, which the Australians call Shiraz (and from what I've read pronounce it "She-razz," though I've never heard anyone say that). Syrah is a noble variety but I don't think that it's as flat-out excellent as Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The reason Syrah/Shiraz makes better wine in Australia than cabernet is the Australian climate. Australia is mostly a hot place and Shiraz does better in warmer temperatures while cabernet does best in the middle temperature ranges (as temperature relates to wine grapes). This makes sense when you consider that cabernet is a native of Bordeaux, which has a moderate climate, while Syrah hails from the Côtes du Rhone, which is in southern France, which is famous for warmth and fun-in-the-sun. If you ever see a map of Australian wine regions you'll notice that they are concentrated in the southernmost parts of the country, where the climate isn't so torrid. There are even wines made in Tasmania, which is south of Australia proper, though I haven't seen any on these shores just yet, and there have been no sightings of Martin Brodeur on any labels.

Although Cabernet Sauvignon is a late ripening variety, the heat of January in Australia isn't great for high quality cabernet. What cabernet needs is sunshine from a long growing season, and though heat and sunshine are obviously related, they are not necessarily the same thing. The Australian heat gives you ripe grapes, but it also gives you grapes with low acidity. (Not to be confused with low pH, which describes high acidity.) Acidity is necessary to help wine age. Australian cabernets aren't great agers, at least not when compared to Bordeaux, or for that matter the Napa Valley. I would treat them as I do any other low acid wine (California Zinfandel comes to mind) and enjoy them for their youth and fruitiness and their good cabernet taste. 

Three to five years old is about right for most of them and the better ones should be just fine at eight to ten years old. These are "New World" wines, fruity and open and oftentimes ready to drink when you bring them home. You might try opening a bottle from the currently available 1998 vintage, one very good year. In addition to varietal Cabernet Sauvignons, Australia produces many cabernet blends. Shiraz/cabernet and cabernet/Shiraz are the most common, but you will also come across Shiraz/cabernet/Merlots, cabernet/ Merlot/Shirazes, and "standard" Bordeaux blends (i.e. cabernet/ Merlot/Cabernet Franc) and just about every possible combination in between. The Aussies provide no shortage of variety.

Depending on where you are reading this, it is now a good time to buy Australian wines. There's a good vintage for reds on the market (1998) and the Aussie Dollar, apparently known by any and all as "the Aussie," is weak these days. This is another thing I gleaned from reading the financial pages recently. I find myself perusing financial news more and more. This is something I used to never do. I disagree with dear old Dad who says I must be getting more conservative. I know that isn't happening. Sometimes I'm just keeping track of the progress of my technology stocks (if you can call it progress). Besides, how am I ever going to get enough filthy lucre (Have you ever noticed that no one ever calls it clean lucre?) to start my own winery if I don't develop a little financial savvy?

Australian wines have always been noted for their value. This is certainly a good a time as any to give them a try. The following are some of Australia's better Cabernet Sauvignons. If they have a proprietary name it will be after the hyphen and name of the producer. Prices, where available, do vary:

Balvanes ($35), Bowen Estate, Chain of Ponds-Amadeus ($25), Chapel Hill ($20), Chateau Reynella-Basket Pressed ($25), Evans ($15), Leasingham -Classic Clare ($35), and -Bin56 Clare Valley ($15), Lindemans-St. George ($30), Michelton ($20), Penley-Phoenix ($25), Penfolds -Bin 707 ($80), and -Bin 407 ($25), Petaluma (Named for a small city north of San Francisco.), Peter Lehman ($20), Rosemount -Show Reserve ($24), and -Southeast Australia ($11), Taltarni ($20), Tapestry-Bin388 ($28), Wolf Blass -President's Selection Black Label, -and Yellow label ($12), and Wirra Wirra-Church Block ($20). (The Penfolds Bin 707 is the most famous if you really must know. I haven't tried it but the one time I tasted the Bin 407 I was impressed.)

And now the answer to today's question. The "sixth" red Bordeaux variety is called Carmenère. In Bordeaux it was wiped out in the 1870's and 1880's by phylloxera and something called odium (powdery mildew), but it survived in Chile. Apparently it was mislabeled as Merlot, but good old modern science has straightened things out. You can find it if you look hard enough. Concha y Toro is making one now. The Caliterra "Primus Merlot" is a Carmenère. I loved the '95. The '99 should be excellent (it's in the high teens).

After all of those New World wines, next week's installment will be about a tasting that featured, you guessed it, European wines.

© Mitch Kornfeld 2001 All rights reserved

Send your comments or questions to...
mitchk@unionsquarejournal.com


Previously by Mitch Kornfeld...

King Cab, Part IV -- Italy (04/04/01)

King Cab, Part III -- California (03/21/01)

King Cab, Part II -- Bordeaux (03/07/01)

King Cab, Part I -- Some Basics (02/27/01)

For a Big Red, Think Petite (02/18/02)

Tannic Monsters from the ID (02/08/01)

New York Wine and Restaurant Deals (01/30/01)

Dad's Cardinal Zins and Other Clichés (01/20/01)

Some Basics for a Winter's Eve (01/12/01)

And if They're Spanish That's Fine (01/05/01)

Hello Carbon Dioxide (12/29/00)

Wines for Christmas (12/22/00)

Nouveau Beaujolais, Etc. (11/24/00)

Going to a Tasting 101 (12/01/00)