Cabernet Sauvignon — a FAQ

Here’s the straight-talk FAQ I wish more people had handy.

What is Cabernet Sauvignon, in plain terms?
 A natural cross of Cabernet Franc × Sauvignon Blanc, according to DNA work in the 1990s. It likely originated in Bordeaux. The grape has thick skins, small berries, naturally high tannin, solid acidity, and deep color—all reasons it ages well and shows structure even in warm places.

What does it taste like—and why does it vary so much?
Core flavors are blackcurrant (cassis), black cherry, plum, with cedar/graphite and tobacco showing up as it ages. The “green” side—bay leaf, bell pepper, mint—comes from methoxypyrazines (especially IBMP). Cooler sites, shadier fruit, and earlier picks show more green; sunnier exposures and riper picks push it darker and plusher. Oak can add spice, cocoa, and a touch of vanilla depending on barrel type and toast.

Where does Cabernet Sauvignon shine?

• Bordeaux Left Bank (Médoc, Pessac-Léognan): Cab-led blends grown on gravel; classic cedar/graphite with firm tannins.
  

• California (Napa/Sonoma + mountains like Howell, Veeder; Santa Cruz Mountains): riper fruit with real structure; mountains bring extra freshness.
  

• Washington State (Red Mountain, Walla Walla): savory, structured, often at good prices.
  

• Chile (Alto Maipo/Colchagua): cassis with a graphite, Andes-cooled lift, can be great value.
  

• Australia (Coonawarra, Margaret River): blackcurrant with mint/eucalyptus, medium alcohol, fine tannin.
  

• South Africa (Stellenbosch): structured, spicy, increasingly classical.
  

• Tuscany (Bolgheri and friends): Cabernet as a key “Super Tuscan” component.

Bordeaux vs. California—what’s the practical difference?

Climate, terroir and style choices. Bordeaux is maritime and variable, so wines skew fresher, more cedary, and need time. California is sunnier and more consistent; fruit gets riper, mid-palates feel rounder. Site matters: gravel and well-drained benchlands are ideal; mountain AVAs (Howell, Veeder, Spring, Santa Cruz) bring tighter acidity and firmer tannin.

Is Cabernet always a blend, or can it be 100%?

Both are normal. In Bordeaux, Cabernet is usually blended (Merlot for mid-palate, Cabernet Franc for lift, Petit Verdot for color/spice). In California and elsewhere, varietal Cab can be 75–100% depending on local rules. Blending doesn’t hide Cabernet; it tunes texture and aroma.

Why do some bottles smell like bell pepper?

That’s 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP). Shadier canopies, cooler seasons, and early picking elevate it. Careful leaf removal on the morning-sun side and picking at full flavor maturity reduce it. In balance, those herbal notes read as savory complexity rather than excessively “green.”

Can Cabernet Sauvignon age?

Yes—exceptionally, when fruit, acidity, and tannin are in balance. As a guide: solid Bordeaux cuvées 6–12 years; classified Left Bank and top Napa/Santa Cruz/mountain sites 12–30+; Washington/Stellenbosch/Margaret River 8–20.

A personal FYI here: my epiphany wine was 1989 Château Cantemerle (about half Cabernet). I first had it when the wine was roughly eight years old; I still buy and open it today for that calm cedar-and-graphite profile that only time gives.

What does “classical California Cabernet” mean?

Moderate ripeness and alcohol, real acidity, defined tannins, and measured oak—built to drink beautifully at 10–20 years, not just on release. And yes, even though people peg me as an Old-World diehard, I love this lane in California. Give me a 10-year-old Forman or a 20-year-old Mayacamas and I’m very happy.

What are the best food pairings?

Protein, salt, and char tame tannin: ribeye, lamb with rosemary, peppered burgers, mushroom ragù, and aged Cheddar or Comté. Keep sauces savory and avoid sweetness. Grill marks (Maillard browning) are Cabernet’s best friend.

Where are the value plays?

I keep telling everyone who will listen that under $30 Bordeaux is the best value on the planet today. Yes, these wines are often Merlot based, but anything labeled Cru Bourgeois or Haut Medoc will be mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Whenever you need an elegant dinner party red, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, this should be near the top of your list of choices.

Shop Cabernet Sauvignon in NYC. 

Shop Cabernet Sauvignon in SF.

Jeff Patten is one of the founders of Flatiron Wines. He has been buying and selling wine, and exploring wine country, for over 20 years, and drinking and collecting it for far longer. He is WSET certified (level 2).

Sauvignon Blanc — a FAQ

Before we get practical: just so you know, I’m secretly obsessed with Sauvignon Blanc. The 90s may have given it an “everyone’s aunt drinks this” reputation – mostly thanks to the mass-produced New Zealand Sauvignons that began to flood the market –, but the grape itself—especially from the Loire, Northern Italy, and Styria over the Austrian border—has never stopped thrilling me. Here’s the straight-talk FAQ I wish more people had handy.

What is Sauvignon Blanc, in plain terms?

A high-acid white grape that ripens early and broadcasts where it’s grown. At its core you’ll find citrus and green-toned flavors (lime, grapefruit, gooseberry, green herbs). Raise it in warmer spots or push ripeness and you’ll start to see tropical notes. Winemaking can keep it laser-clean and stainless, or layer in texture via lees, oak, or a bit of bottle age.

What does it taste like—and why does it vary so much?

Two families of aromas drive the style: methoxypyrazines (think green bell pepper, fresh cut grass) and volatile thiols (passionfruit, grapefruit zest). Cooler sites and shadier canopies accent the “green”; sunnier sites and riper picking lean tropical. Fermentation choices matter too—neutral vessels preserve zing; lees aging and a hint of wood mellow the edges and add savory depth.

Where does Sauvignon Blanc shine?

The benchmarks: Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé) for mineral-citrus precision; Bordeaux for structured blends (often blended with Sémillon); Marlborough, NZ for exuberant fruit; coastal Chile and South Africa for a middle path; California for “Fumé Blanc” (more on that below) and brighter, modern stainless styles. My personal “don’t sleep on these” list: Friuli and Alto Adige in Northern Italy, and Styria (Steiermark) across the border in Austria—wines that thread freshness, texture, and complexity.

Is Sancerre just Sauvignon Blanc?

For white Sancerre, yes—100% Sauvignon Blanc. The magic is place: Sancerre has a range of incredibly complex limestone soils – including in some parts from the Kimmeridgian geologic era that also makes Chablis so special – cooler nights, and an ethos that prizes purity. Think lime, stone, fennel frond, flint, and a saline snap. 

Red Sancerre, to state the obvious, is not made from Sauvignon Blanc, but rather from Pinot Noir.

Sancerre vs. Pouilly-Fumé—how do they differ?

They’re neighbors across the Loire, both using 100% Sauvignon Blanc for their white wines. Pouilly-Fumé often leans a touch smokier/flintier (thanks to silex soils in parts of the appellation) with a slightly broader mid-palate; Sancerre tends to feel a shade more lifted and chalk-chiseled. Producers and vineyards matter more than this postcard summary, but that’s the classic contrast. (And just to prevent mix-ups: Pouilly-Fumé is Loire Sauvignon; Pouilly-Fuissé is Chardonnay from Burgundy.)

Can Sauvignon Blanc age?

Yes—when it has the bones (fruit concentration + acidity + balance). Top Loire bottles can be cellared for 2, 3, 5, or even 10–20 years, shedding primary fruit for honeyed citrus, hay, and wet stone. Styrian and Friulian versions with serious intent age beautifully for 5–15 years. White Bordeaux blends (with Sémillon) can go longer still. 

In my cellar, aged Loire SB is one of the best “I told you so” wines to pour blind. It’s especially fun because so few of my wine friends actually age this grape and they are always stunned by the results. 

I always highly recommend this grape for anyone keeping a Reasonable Cellar (i.e., a cellar full of reasonably priced wines that will develop nicely with just a few years of cellaring). Even $35 Sancerres and Friulian whites can get better with just 2-3 years in your wine fridge.

Oak or no oak? And what’s “Fumé Blanc”?

Most Sauvignon is raised in stainless steel to keep it razor-fresh. Oak (often large, neutral barrels) brings roundness, sometimes a whisper of toast, and savory complexity—great with richer food. “Fumé Blanc” is a California term popularized by Robert Mondavi; it usually signals some oak influence, though styles range from barely kissed to fully barrel-framed.

Why do some bottles smell grassy while others feel tropical?

Site and ripeness. Cooler vineyards + earlier harvest = greener tones (herbs, jalapeño, green apple). Warmer exposures + riper fruit = guava, passionfruit, and grapefruit. Yeast strains and fermentation temps can coax out specific thiols (that zesty, tropical lift). Good growers manage canopies to balance sunlight exposure and keep flavors in check.

What are the best food pairings?

Classic: Loire Sauvignon with goat cheese—one of wine’s few “textbook” pairings. Beyond that: oysters, crudo, sushi, ceviche, salsa verde, chimichurri, herby roast chicken, Vietnamese and Thai dishes with lime and herbs. Personally, peak spring asparagus with a lemony dressing is my weekday bullseye—Sauvignon is one of the few whites that actually welcomes asparagus, a vegetable that I am thoroughly obsessed with for the eight weeks of the year when I can buy it from farmers at the Union Square Green Market. A bit later in the year, I start drinking Sauvignon Blancs again with tomato salads, often made from tomatoes purchased from the same farmers.

How cold should I serve it? Should I ever decant?

Serve most bottles at 8–10 °C (46–50 °F) for refreshment; let top cuvées warm toward 12 °C (54 °F) so the texture and savory notes open. A quick splash-decant (10–15 minutes) can help if the wine feels reduced or shy, especially for serious Loire, Friuli, or Styrian bottlings.

What’s the deal with Northern Italy and Styria—your “secret source”?

Friuli (Collio, Colli Orientali) and Alto Adige treat Sauvignon like a precision instrument: ripe but taut fruit, alpine herbs, often a silky mid-palate from lees aging. Across the border in Austria’s Styria (Südsteiermark, Vulkanland, Weststeiermark), you get crystalline acidity, orchard fruit, and a stony, herbal drive. These wines age gracefully, pair with nearly everything I cook, and still fly under the hype radar—exactly my kind of secret.

Shop Sauvignon Blanc in NYC. 

Shop Sauvignon Blanc in SF. 

Jeff Patten is one of the founders of Flatiron Wines. He has been buying and selling wine, and exploring wine country, for over 20 years, and drinking and collecting it for far longer. He is WSET certified (level 2).

Chardonnay — a FAQ

Before we get practical: full disclosure—probably half the white wine I drink is Chardonnay. And while I love the classics (i.e., from Burgundy and California), my secret source is actually Oregon!

What is Chardonnay, in plain terms?
 A white grape born in eastern France. Genetically it’s a natural cross of Pinot and Gouais Blanc. It buds early, ripens mid-season, and is a terrific “translator” of place. That’s why it can be razor-sharp in Chablis, creamy-savory in Meursault, coastal-salty in Sonoma, and earthly serious in Oregon.

What does it taste like—and why does it vary so much?
 Cooler sites and earlier picks = lemon, green apple, chalk. Warmer sites and riper picks = pear, peach, baked apple, sometimes pineapple. Winemaking steers the rest:
Stainless/neutral vessels keep it crisp and linear.

• Lees aging/bâtonnage adds a silky, bready texture.
• Oak barrels (especially new) bring toast, spice, and a nutty edge.
• Malolactic fermentation (MLF) converts sharper malic acid to softer lactic acid—think creamier feel.

Why do some bottles taste “buttery”?
 That’s diacetyl, a compound produced during MLF. More MLF + certain microbes + time on lees = more butter/cream notes. Less or no MLF keeps things lemony and taut. Oak can layer in vanilla/spice, but “butter” itself is mostly MLF, not wood.

Where does Chardonnay shine?

• Burgundy: Chablis (steely, saline), Côte de Beaune (Puligny = line + lift; Chassagne = citrus + spice; Meursault = nutty, layered).
• Champagne: the backbone of Blanc de Blancs.
• United States: Sonoma Coast/Carneros/Santa Cruz Mountains for cool-climate precision; Oregon’s Willamette Valley (Eola-Amity, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton) for an earthy, intense, acid-driven styles.
• Elsewhere: Margaret River and Yarra Valley (Australia), Hawke’s Bay (NZ), Hemel-en-Aarde (South Africa), Casablanca/Leyda (Chile).

Is Chablis just Chardonnay?
Yes—Chablis is 100% Chardonnay. The style comes from cool climate and Kimmeridgian limestone: think lemon, oyster shell, and a chalky snap. (And a reminder: “Chablis” on a jug wine label outside France isn’t real Chablis.) Chablis is the example I always turn to when I want to explain the impact that a terroir can have on a grape: Chardonnay doesn’t taste like Chablis when grown anywhere else in the world.

Chablis vs. Côte de Beaune—how do they differ?
 Chablis: high acid, saline, minimal oak (some producers use large/old wood; it is rarely tasted int he wine).
 Côte de Beaune: riper fruit, more lees work and barrel influence, moving from Puligny’s precision to Meursault’s creamy, nutty weight. Producer and vineyard trump the postcard summary, but that’s the gist.

Oak or no oak—what should I expect?

• Unoaked/neutral-aged: citrus, green apple, high refreshment.
• Lightly oaked: a little toast/nut, rounder mid-palate.
• Barrel fermented + new oak: creamier texture, spice, hazelnut; best when fruit concentration and acidity can carry it.

Can Chardonnay age?
 Yes—when there’s concentration + acidity + balance.

• Top Chablis & Côte de Beaune: 5–20 years depending on level.
• Serious Oregon/Sonoma/Champagne: often 5–15 years.
   For a Reasonable Cellar: even well-made Mâcon-Villages, Chablis, or Oregon AVA bottlings can improve with 2–3 years in a cool fridge.

What are the best food pairings?
Match weight to weight and acid to acid.

• Chablis/unoaked: oysters, crudo, sushi, goat cheese, simple roast fish.
• Midweight, some oak: roast chicken, mushroom sauces, pork chops, creamy pastas.
• Rich/oaky: lobster with butter, roast turkey, nutty cheeses.
  At home, my bullseye dish is roast chicken with mushrooms and pan juices. I start with a glass of Chardonnay from Oregon, and follow it with a young Cru Beaujolais. For me, it’s autumnal heaven.

How cold should I serve it? Should I ever decant?
Serve 8–10 °C (46–50 °F) for crisp styles; let serious, structured wines warm to 12–13 °C (54–55 °F) so texture opens. If a wine smells a bit reduced (matchstick), a quick 10–15 minute splash-decant helps.

What’s the deal with Oregon—your “secret source”?
Cool Willamette sites + Dijon clones + long growing seasons = lemon/pear, white flowers, and a savory, saline finish at modest alcohol. Many producers favor neutral oak + lees for texture without heaviness. The result is Chardonnay that’s refreshing on Tuesday and complex on Saturday, which is why I reach for it so often.

Shop Chardonnay in NYC. 

Shop Chardonnay in SF.

Jeff Patten is one of the founders of Flatiron Wines. He has been buying and selling wine, and exploring wine country, for over 20 years, and drinking and collecting it for far longer. He is WSET certified (level 2).