The grape, more closely
Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, identified by DNA in 1997. Its small berries and thick skins explain its deep colour, firm tannin and ageability — and its need for warmth to ripen fully.
◉
Ripening matters
Cabernet ripens late. In marginal years or cool sites it shows green, leafy, 'bell-pepper' notes (pyrazines). Riper sites give pure cassis and cedar. Climate is everything.