What Makes a Great Cabernet Sauvignon?
At Ram’s Gate Winery, our inspired team of wine professionals love a great Cabernet Sauvignon. Who doesn’t?
As one of the world’s most renowned red wine grape varieties, Cabs are incredibly popular with wine lovers across the globe.
Its popularity, and the number of wineries that create this beautiful wine, are also what makes a great Cabernet Sauvignon, well, great. And another good. And yet another okay.
Here’s what makes a celebrated one.
The Right Climate
Cabernet Sauvignon vines are best suited for a sunny and warm, but not too hot, climate.
The grapes must ripen slowly and evenly, so Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley are great locations that provide the perfect climate where the shifting temperatures between night and day slow certain aspects of the grapes’ ripening while maintaining their prized acidity.
The Right Soil
What makes a great Cabernet Sauvignon extends beyond our amazing Napa and Sonoma climates. It has much to do with the soil where the vines are cultivated. The clay and volcanic soil bring an earthy, well-rounded tone to the wine’s finish, thanks to the irrigation methods that allow the soil to naturally share its minerals during the grapes’ growth cycle.
Choose the Right Cabernet Sauvignon Region that Produces the Right Flavors for Your Palate
Cabernet Sauvignon from the valley floor is lush and refined with integrated tannins that taste of blueberry, black cherry, ripe plum, licorice, mocha and violet.
The Napa AVAs produce these lush Cabernet Sauvignon wines with dominant fruit flavors.
Cabernet Sauvignon from the hillsides are rustic and bold and have a heightened mineral earthiness supported by firm tannins that have more rustic flavor profiles supported by firm tannins produced from smaller berries, which in turn add deeper color to the wines and a taste of black currant, wild berry, black cherry, spice, espresso, cedar and sage.
What Makes a Great Cabernet Sauvignon?
In a word, craftsmanship.
Our Ram’s Gate Wines are carefully planned through our land stewardship and an unwavering commitment to producing our fruit holistically for inclusion in our signature collections. We fully believe that winemaking begins with the land—not inside the cellar—which allows us to play a significant role in each vine’s evolution.
We care about our land, our grapes, our customers, and our commitment to sustainability that will allow all of us to share the integrity of our environment together—for years to come.
If you would like to learn more about our dedicated approach to inclusivity, reserve your wine tasting experience today and visit our inspiring vineyard in person to see what makes a great Cabernet Sauvignon for yourself.
If you prefer to learn more about our exciting wine collections from a distance, we have informative virtual experiences accessible for all. You can also enjoy our craftsmanship by joining our wine club or ordering online for delivery or curbside pickup today.