Wine Blogging Wednesday: North vs. South

I thought that taking part in Wine Blogging Wednesday would be a great way to christen this new blog of mine and get into the feel of writing about wine. What better topic than North vs. South? I had a bunch of ideas on what to do but, instead of planning ahead and being well prepared, I found myself five wines into a tasting at Cellar 360 on Saturday with no idea as to what to write about. Enter Matt Kerr, their wine club manager, and my own personal tasting guru. His suggestion: a NorCal cabernet sauvignon versus the same from Australia. Fruit bomb vs. subtlety. A true study in opposites when it comes to the same grape. So, I made my purchases and happily stumbled home, excited for the matchup.

Fighting in the north corner, weighing in at (my club discounted rate of) $20 and hailing from 2005, we have an Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon from Souverain. Fighting in the south corner, also weighing in at $20 and priced at $20, we have the Wolf Blass Gray Label cab from the Coonwarra region. The test: my yearly corned beef and cabbage feast.

Nick set up a blind tasting for me but, to be honest, it wasn't needed. I had somewhat of a feeling of what to expect. First up, the Souverain. The color was a vivid ruby with a tinge of fuschia... what I would call the perfect shade of lip gloss. On the nose were the characteristics of the (in)famous California cab: a big hit of dark fruits, namely cherry and blackberry. The taste was the usual kick-you-in-the-ass-with-fruit, with cherries, cassis, and oak all perhaps a little too apparent. The finish was perhaps the most pleasant part of the entire experience, with lingering notes of plum and dark chocolate.

The color of the Wolf Blass was much darker, with more of a brownish tinge to it. On the nose, it was a much lighter and brighter experience. I picked up notes of raspberries, fig, and hay; I love wines that have a sort of 'barnyard funk' to them, so I could tell that this cab was definitely more of my speed. The first sip was such a relief from the California cab, with a lighter and smoother mouthfeel bursting with strawberries, white pepper,cinnamon, fig, and mint. The finish was more of that light mint, with just a hint of cedar reminiscent of the 20 months it spent in French and American oak.

The verdict: as biased as I was, the Souverain opened up very nicely and was preferred by all drinkers beside myself. It also held its own quite well with the corned beef, letting its sweet jammyness play off the salty, savory meat. However, after the meal, I continued sipping on the Wolf Blass. It just seemed like a more subtle and easier to handle wine, with the fruit, tannins, alcohol, and oak all working in much more cohesive harmony.

I'll have to give it to the south, the Aussie Wolf Blass cab. But this matchup almost didn't seem fair, for while they are both the same grape these were wildly different wines. If you love big California fruit bombs, you can't go wrong with the Souverain... but I'll be sipping my Wolf Blass in the corner!