My wife and I started drinking cheap wine in college because we could afford it and because it did less bodily harm over a long night of partying than the usual alternatives, namely beer or bad whiskey. Gradually, we bought better wine, moving up to the Gallo jug wines, which were then and now pretty decent. I particularly remember Gallo "Hearty Burgundy," which was not especially hearty and was definitely not Burgundy, but it was good. This increasing level of sophistication led to our first bottle of varietal wine and my first wine "epiphany," a moment in which I realized that I was experiencing something different and better than what I had known before. The wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon from Almaden Vineyards, and a little story on the back of the bottle told me that these were the grapes from which the world's greatest wines were made. The Almaden Cabernet was not one of the world's greatest wines. But it was good and different and interesting, and it inspired a long and dedicated study of Cabernet Sauvignon from around the world.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes do, indeed, serve as the primary ingredient in some of the world's greatest wines. At their best, Cabernets can be breathtaking. They are a lovely deep red in color and often exhibit cedar, violet and dark berry aromas. The flavors are rich and deeply fruity but restrained. There is sophistication and nuance to this taste, flavors with multiple levels worthy of thought. The great brand names are almost mystical to those of us who love wines: Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Haut-Brion, Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux, Heitz Martha's Vineyard, Ridge Monte Bello, Screaming Eagle, Stag's Leap Cask 23, Sassicaia. Unfortunately, these very special Cabernet-based wines, some of which I used to buy for $8 to $25 a bottle, now regularly sell for well over $100 and even more than $1,000 in a great vintage like 2005 in Bordeaux. That's $1,000 a bottle!
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