Vitis vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon - Grape vine

The Cabernet Sauvignon vine is an ancient grape variety, widely cultivated in Gironde and southwestern France where it is used in the production of the Médoc, Graves, Saint Emilion, Bergerac, and Pécharmant appellations. Vigorous and productive, it produces clusters of small grapes with thick, pruinose, black-blue skins. The firm and crunchy flesh has a characteristic flavor and reveals a certain astringency on the palate. The harvest, which is moderately early, takes place in September-October, depending on the climate and the year, about a week before that of the black Merlot and black Carignan. The Cabernet Sauvignon vine is quite susceptible to fungal diseases and it is preferable to avoid large pruning wounds. It is a wine grape.

The wine vine, in Latin Vitis vinifera, grew wild over 5000 years ago. It was introduced to France for cultivation by the Romans. Numerous hybrids have been created to vary colors, flavors, and uses. The Cabernet Sauvignon vine is believed to originate from Gironde. It is listed in the Official Catalogue of Vine Varieties. This grape variety is the result of a crossbreeding between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

A vigorous climbing woody shrub, the Cabernet Sauvignon vine can easily reach a height or spread of 4-5m (13-16ft) if not pruned. It is recommended to train it on wire trellises and practice long pruning. Its final shape will depend on the pruning method used. The Cabernet Sauvignon vine is a frugal sun-loving plant that prefers a soil that is both clayey and stony, well-drained. Its long stems naturally cling to their support (trellis, espalier...) through large green and voluble tendrils. Leafing out occurs quite late. Its foliage, with serrated edges, is a deep green in summer and turns into the most beautiful gold in autumn. It flowers in May-June depending on the year and region, offering tiny greenish to white-pink flowers gathered in short, moderately compact, pyramid-shaped and cylindrical clusters. Its small, round and firm grapes have a thick skin covered with bloom, turning black-blue when fully ripe. Depending on the terroir, they reveal various aromas: blackcurrant leaf, tobacco, truffles, Morello cherry, blackberry, green bell pepper, vanilla, violet, dark chocolate, sweet spices, fern, smoke, plum, licorice, undergrowth... The Cabernet Sauvignon grape brings tannic structure and deep color to the wine, excellent aging potential, and the ability to be aged in oak barrels. On its own, it may lack roundness.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is consumed after vinification. It can also be used for ornamentation in a pergola, against a sunny wall, or trained on a trellis.