| We explore regional variations of the major Cabernet growing areas of Australia to help determine which style of Australian-made Cab Sauv you prefer. In the 1970s, the Coonawarra region first brought international attention to Australian Cabs with intense fruit flavors and subtle minty notes. The wines from here tend to be well balanced with a very good cellar potential and some of the country’s best Cabs come from Coonawarra. The Margaret River region soon followed with wines that were tightly structured with pronounced black fruit notes, slight gravelly hints, and usually great length and cellaring ability. The warm climate in the Barossa Valley produces big, full bodied, richer, dark and fleshy wines with typical chocolate hints. Blackberry more than blackcurrant is often the dominant fruit flavour. As Australian wine regions go, the nearby but cooler Clare Valley is small, accounting for around 2.5 per cent of the nation's crush. But its boutique wines are select and they have more concentrated fruit.
Very ripe Cabernets from warm climates as in Australia, tend to be less distinctively “Cabernet” i.e., tannic, cedar and cigar box aromas, and slow to develop in maturity. Instead, Australian Cabs develop chocolate and richer flavours, and are delicious young. The flavour profile in Cabernets tends to be black and red currant, blackberry, and cassis, with occasional hints of mint, chocolate and even regional earthiness.
Toronto Vintners is delighted to have Monica Ralphs as its guest speaker. Monica is the Regional Director of Wine Australia (Canada), and a well-known and very respected individual in the Canadian wine industry. |
Greater Toronto Wine-Australian Cabernet Sauvignon - A Regional Perspective 
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