The (not so) Noble One

Cabernet Sauvignon is regarded as one the worlds “noble grapes” and indeed, some of the greatest wines in the world are made primarily from this variety. Yet, in Australia today, many see it as being out of favour.

Few would argue that the best wines Bordeaux produces are amongst the best wines in the world. Having a (red) Bordeaux appellation means the wine can contain any one of five grape varieties in any quantity or mix. They are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. In Australia, the top area for Cabernet Sauvignon and their blends are Coonawarra and Margaret River but other areas produce very credible wines. Clare, many parts of Victoria and even the Barossa or McLaren Vale can produce some very good Cabernet and blends.

The top Australian labels from Coonawarra and Margaret River are selling well (in good vintages) yet many other regions seem to be having difficulty moving their Cabernets. This was especially so in the last vintage when many growers found it hard to sell Cabernet grapes at almost give away prices. Walk into any good bottle shop and the Shiraz section seems to be much larger than the Cabernet section. This is supported by the numbers. According to the ABS, in 1992 there were more than twice as many hectares planted with Shiraz than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Australia is well known and well regarded all around the world for our Shiraz and indeed, Shiraz has been the driving force behind our export success so why is our Cabernet always the bridesmaid and never the bride, both here and overseas? In reality, Cabernet is starting to look like it will become an old maid if it keeps going the way it is going, or is it? If you scratch the surface and look at the last year’s numbers, Cabernet is doing well, production was up by 41% over 2003 in comparison to Shiraz which was up by 43%. But if you go a bit deeper, the story is very different.

In 1994, a mere decade ago, the approximate numbers as a percentage of production were-:

Shiraz 10%

Cabernet Sauvignon 7.5%

Other White (not Chardonnay or Semillon) 25%

Multipurpose 30%

In 2004 the numbers are very different.

Shiraz 24%

Cabernet Sauvignon 17.5%

Other White (not Chardonnay or Semillon) 12.5%

Multipurpose 7.5%

The biggest drop in percentage terms is multipurpose wine grapes (which are used in cask wine) so that is a good thing. Other c-throughs have taken a dive but as a red bigot, this is immaterial. Importantly, if we examine the reds, Shiraz has had a huge climb in popularity and surprise, Cabernet as a proportion has just about kept pace with the meteoritic rise of Shiraz. Whilst these numbers are a percentage of total production, it also needs to be remembered that total production has increased exponentially over that period of time so Cabernet overall is holding its own as far as consumption is concerned.

Consumption is one thing, reputation another. Ask most Australians to name our top wines (with no criteria or prompting) and the chances are, the vast majority named will probably be Shiraz based wines. Ask most US wine lovers who like Oz wines the same question and the chances are there will be an even higher percentage of Shiraz based wines listed (with a few Grenache thrown into the mix) and an even lower number of Cabernets listed.

We are clearly recognized for our Shiraz, why not our Cabernet? When people think world class Shiraz we get an honorable mention, if not thought of as contenders yet when you mention Cabernet, we don’t get a guernsey. We can and do produce a limited number of top class Cabernets as well as a large array of excellent quality wines in this category so why is it not seen as a contender?

Part of the answer is that Shiraz simply overshadows Cabernet. Part of it is that Cabernet is not as fashionable as Shiraz and part of it is that as good as out top quality Cabernets can be, the best of Bordeaux many feel is arguably better.

Bordeaux may do great blends with its five main red varieties but Australia has a secret weapon of its own when it comes to Cabernet Blends, it’s called a “Cabernet Shiraz” and there are many wine lovers, and I am one of them, that think this blend has produced some of the best wines Australia has produced. Wines as humble as the Penfold Bin 389, the Yalumba Signature, or better still Yalumba The Reserve, or what about Wynns 1991 Centenary, or top of the line wines like Penfold Bin 80A and 90A and 920. Cabernet and Shiraz blended is as legitimate a match as any Bordeaux blend and a match made in heaven. Possibly, because we don’t live in heaven, the Australian wine producers make so little of it.

Why we don’t make more Cabernet Shiraz blends is beyond me.  

Copyright © Ric Einstein 2004