Oswego Hills Wines

Vineyard Wines

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is thought by many to be the premier red wine grape in the world. Cabernet is the dominant grape of Bordeaux France and Napa Valley California. Plantings now range into Chile, Australia, and the Pacific Northwest. Cabernet Sauvignon is known in some parts of the world by other names including: Petit Cabernet, Sauvignon Rouge, and Vidure. DNA testing reveals that Cabernet Sauvignon is a hybrid offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Although these names all sound alike, Cabernet Sauvignon is much heartier than its parents. Many etymologists believe that Cabernet 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 Cabernet 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. Cabernet is a small, dark, thick-skinned grape that gives average yields and typically needs warmer growing conditions to achieve maturity. Distinctive characteristics of Cabernet 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 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet 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 Cabernet 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.

Oswego Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Using grapes sourced from Washington's finest appellation adjacent to Benton City, our Cabernet has been resting for the past 20 months in barrel awaiting its much-anticipated release. This Cabernet 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 percent new and 50 percent 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 Cabernet include duck, beef, rabbit, spicy poultry, cheddar & blue cheeses, sausage, and rich desserts.

  • $40.00 per bottle |
  • $204.00 per 6-pack |
  • $384.00 per case |
  • 300 cases produced

Oswego Hills Wine Store

Large Format bottles: A limited number of etched, hand-painted 3L, 6L, and 12L are available at the winery