2018 | Château Couhins

A few years ago, an American movie Sideways, mocked the easy charm and ubiquity of Merlot.   Sales in the U.S. tumbled and it seemed as if Merlot’s future was uncertain.   However, on the other side of the Atlantic, Merlot is the most planted grape variety in Bordeaux and its charm, its early ripening and its high sugar levels can explain its success.   Merlot is round and voluptuous when ripe; it envelops the palate with juicy plum fruit, round tannins and a silky texture.  
 
Like its sibling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot makes good wines in a variety of climates and regions. It is easy to grow, producing good yields and more sweet, round fruit often with an opulent character.  It comes to its peak on the plateau of Pomerol where two famous wines, Le Pin and Petrus, are made uniquely from Merlot grapes.  Here, the cooler, water-retentive soils of calcareous clay are ideally suited to Merlot, which requires less heat to ripen than Cabernet Sauvignon.  In Saint Emilion, it is often blended with Cabernet Franc, which lends minty freshness, acidity and tannic structure to the sometimes overly rounded Merlot.   Pomerol can be recognised by its earthy truffle scent while Saint-Emilion wines are more fruit-dominated. Once mature, these wines develop a typically smoky aroma.
 
Merlot’s character is often exploited in blending: in Tuscan Chianti, for instance, soft Merlot rounds Sangiovese’s rougher edges while Vino Nobile di Montepulciano gains extra juiciness and fruit by its addition.  Elsewhere in the world, it is very important in Chile and to a lesser extent in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  Our selection

Cabernet Sauvignon is synonymous with red Bordeaux where it originated; a wine style so eminent that it is emulated everywhere. This has made Cabernet into a veritable globetrotter, adapting so well to different cultures and climates that it is grown with success throughout the world.   Rather like Chardonnay, the two have become the vanilla and chocolate ice-cream flavours of wine. Interestingly, Cabernet Sauvignon is the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the parentage probably happening by accident sometime in the 18th century in Bordeaux.  
 
Cabernet Sauvignon has typical aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants and green peppers, the latter become more apparent in slightly unripe wines.   As they ripen, the grapes develop aromas of eucalyptus, mint, tobacco and cedar. Cabernet’s thick grape skins are full of phenols that add tannic structure and deep colour to the wine.   In spite of its power, Cabernet Sauvignon is not particularly round and fleshy and can sometimes seem hollow in the middle, a characteristic sometimes called the “donut-effect”.   It is therefore often blended with mouth filling Merlot. Only in warm climates where full ripeness softens Cabernet’s tannic rigour is it bottled on its own.  Its structure also explains its affinity with oak: the additional tannins and toasty aromas of new French oak barrels marry well with the grape. Cabernet Sauvignon develops real interest with bottle age. Oak, Cabernet and its blending partners unite to form a complex, mature bouquet while the tannic grip softens.
 
In Bordeaux, Cabernet is grown on the warm gravelly Left Bank of the
Gironde. It needs warmth to ripen fully and mirrors terroir. Wines from Saint-
Estèphe show grip and intense earthy notes. Pauillac is a benchmark with its balance between power, elegance, opulence and cigar box aromas. Saint-Julien shows mineral definition, pure fruit and linear structure. Margaux is all about silky texture wrapped around firm tannins. Pessac-Léognan from the top of the Graves is lighter with hints of pencil shavings.
 
Cabernet Sauvignon also shines in other well-known wine regions throughout the world:  In Maremma and Bolgheri, coastal Tuscany shares a maritime climate with Bordeaux. Here, Cabernet is successfully blended with both Merlot and Sangiovese.  Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the star varietals in California’s Napa Valley producing wines that are concentrated and extracted often with elevated alcohol levels. Australia’s heartland for Cabernet is Coonawarra: recognizable by its eucalyptus scent, ripe fruit and its savoury tannins, while Margaret River Cabernet is more restrained, elegant and minty. Chilean Cabernet’s blackcurrant aromas virtually jump out of the glass and in South Africa, it is the Cape’s most planted red grape, usually blended with Merlot to make charming wines especially in Stellenbosch and Paarl. Our selection

Cabernet Franc, along with the white Sauvignon Blanc is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.   It has great fragrance and structure and shines both in the Loire Valley and in Bordeaux blends.  The grape is believed to have originated in the Loire but today the Cabernet Franc grown in the Loire is not believed to be the same variety as that found in Bordeaux.
 
Cabernet Franc has smaller berries, is less densely packed, ripens earlier and requires less heat than Cabernet Sauvignon, although it is very similar in shape.  It is fresher and more fragrant with aromas of redcurrant, menthol and blackcurrant with intense vegetal hints and an herbal finish.   Cabernet Franc thrives especially on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, in the cooler clay soils of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Throughout the world, winemakers emulating the Bordeaux blend of grapes, will always plant Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
 
The red wines of the Loire, made from 100% Cabernet Franc throughout
Touraine, have achieved high praise of late. Climate change and improved viticultural methods have given quality a real boost here. Particularly wines from Saumur-Champigny, Bourgueil and Chinon are of smooth density and have enticingly fresh red fruit and herbal notes, carried by juicy redcurrant and cherry fruit. In maturity these wines develop aromas of cigar box, truffle and tobacco. Our selection