Cabernet Sauvignon

The wine

A lightly dry close is the reason this Cabernet works at all. Dark fruit comes back, simple, and the sweetness lets go. That is the glass in one swallow: fruit, then a little dryness, then nothing further.

For a dealcoholized Cabernet, that direct dark-fruit smell is the part that still belongs to the grape. The fruit is the whole aroma, and it is enough to recognize the variety.

The sip is soft and slightly sweet. Light acidity does not answer the sugar. Tannin stays gentle, a light grip rather than the chew a Cabernet name implies. Sweetness leads, acid stays quiet, and the tannin never takes the frame alcohol usually supplies. The close returns to dark fruit rather than introducing a new note. The mouth itself is texture and a little sweetness.

Balance is easy to name, and it is the limit. Pleasant, because the finish dries and the fruit is clear. Ordinary, because the structure stays soft and the glass does not develop past that fruit. Slightly chilled, it is an everyday red for a roast or a mild cheese, when blackberry and plum are enough and a sterner Cabernet is not required.