Vineyard Wines
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Cabemet Sauvignon is thought by many to be the premier red wine grape in the world. Cabemet is the dominant grape of Bordeaux France and Napa Valley California. Plantings now range into Chile, Australia, and the Pacific Northwest. Cabemet Sauvignon is known in some parts of the world by other names including: Petit Cabemet, Sauvignon Rouge, and Vidure. DNA testing reveals that Cabemet Sauvignon is a hybrid offspring of Cabemet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Although these names all sound alike, Cabemet Sauvignon is much heartier than its parents. Many etymologists believe that Cabemet relates to the Biturica grape that the Roman poet Pliny recorded in the year 71 A. D. as being planted in Bordeaux because of its hardiness.
The Cabemet Sauvignon grape produces wines that are tannic and can have long aging potential. Famous Bordeaux's from the late 1700's are still holding in the bottle as the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold was a 1787 Chateau Lafite etched with the initials Th. J from the cellar of Thomas Jefferson for $160,000. Cabemet is a small, dark, thick-skinned grape that gives average yields and typically needs warmer growing conditions to achieve maturity. Distinctive characteristics of Cabemet Sauvignon include a high level of complex phenolics, which provide a rich palate of both flavor and aroma. Dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, black currant, plum, black licorice, olive and bell pepper, have all been used to describe Cabemet Sauvignon.
Cabemet Sauvignon began to emerge as America's most popular red varietal wine in the mid-1960's. By the late 1980's it had replaced "burgundy" as a consumer's generic term for red wine (as had Chardonnay replacing "Chablis" as the equivalent for generic white wine. This popularity was based partly on the stand-alone flavor appeal of the grape and partly due to its status or highbrow appeal as the ultimate "collector's" wine. Indeed Cabemet Sauvignon is the wine most subject to inflationary climb with fans, collectors, and the Noveau Riche bidding the supply ever upward. This high-end, high-dollar wine has become the "King of the Cellar" with momentum that does not appear to be stopping anytime soon.
2005 Oswego Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
Using grapes sourced from Washington's finest appellation adjacent to Benton City, our Cabemet has been resting for the past 20 months in barrel awaiting its much-anticipated release. This Cabemet is a bold effort, opulent in style, and layered with flavors of rich extracted blackberry, currant and plum. The initial processing consisted of a 7-day cold soak followed by an 18 day primary fermentation. Aging consisted of 50 new and 50 1-2 year old barrels. Overall, the finished wine is intense and extracted, yet balanced with a firmly integrated tannin structure adding to a complex, long-lasting finish. Enjoy this stand-alone wine now or let it age gracefully for the next 10-15 years in your cellar. Food pairings with Cabemet include duck, beef, rabbit, spicy poultry, cheddar & blue cheeses, sausage, and rich desserts.
- $25.00 per bottle |
- $135.00 per 6-pack |
- $246.00 per case |
- 400 cases produced
Purchase at the Oswego Hills Store
Large Format bottles: A limited number of
etched, hand-painted 3L & 6L are available at the winery