There isn’t anything to distinguish Cabernet Sauvignons from the Southern Hemisphere from those of the northern half of the globe except the grapes ripen in opposite seasons. Otherwise, there is no more commonality among them than there are among the northerners from France or the United States. Terroirs, clones, age of vines and winemaking styles are what make the differences wherever the popular varietal wine is being produced.
Nevertheless, it is fun to taste a group of Southern cabs at the same time. In this The Dozen, we feature a bunch of seven of them from five different vintages. Two of them come from properties owned by Ernesto Catena, son of the famous Nicolás Catena, one of whose properties is photographed above.
2023 Rombauer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($28). A blend of Sonoma (mainly) and Napa Valley grapes, it is crisp with green fruits such as kiwi and lime and some vegetal notes but with a touch of sweetness in the finish.
2022 Raeburn “High Flyer” Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($30). Smooth and refreshing apple flavors with a little fresh oak bite in the finish.
2022 Davis Bynum “Gravel Lens” Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($50). Delightful and animated creamy apple flavors but with good, crisp minerality in the finish.
2023 Calabria Family “Bulletin” South Eastern Australian Cabernet Sauvignon ($11).
Very harmonious wine with rich blackberry flavors, but with some savory accents and good acidity in the finish.
2021 Miguel Torres “Las Mulas” Central Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($15). A mix of red berries and cranberries with tart but rounded flavors and a floral finish.
2021 Lievland Vineyards Cape Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($19). An enjoyable, savory Cab with dried black fruits and walnut tannins – a bargain for those who love leathery reds.
2022 Ernesto Catena “Animal” Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon ($25). Sweet-smelling fruit, very rounded – not at all linear in structure – with flavors of elderberry and brandied cherries.
2020 Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon ($30). Enjoyable red with good blackberry fruit and assertive tannins.
2019 Ernesto Catena Vineyards “Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu” Vista Flores Malbec ($35). If there is a typical Cab profile, this is it – blackberry and blueberry fruits, lean and almost leathery, good weight, walnut-tasting tannins, and a long finish.
2019 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Red Blend ($50). Very good, with lovely integrated flavors of black raspberries and black cherries, and “pencil lead” tannins.
2021 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($55). Smooth and lightly tannic with lovely fruitiness – creamy blackberry and black raspberry – popping up at the finish.
2020 Boekenhoutskloof Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). A wine with long-range aging potential, but right it fruitiness is rather closed with lots of vegetal, bitters and big tannin accents.
Prices listed are generally SRP or from wine-searcher.com. As more wineries are now shipping direct-to-consumer, check the winery website if you can’t find a bottle in your retail store.
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