Rymill The Yearling Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

You know what? If you're looking for a Coonawarra hit it really is very varietal/regional. That green edge, however, is frustratingly hard to get past.

Sure Colin,

Methoxyprazines are a particularly cited main culprit, with this highly aromatic compound detectable at even very low thresholds (and notably in Cab Sauv and Cab Franc, though it might not be about higher concentrations in these varieties, just more obvious aromatically).

Theoretically, methoxyprazine concentrations drop as grapes get riper, so properly ripe Cabernet should show less of this herbal/capsicum smelling aromatic compound. But other factors play a part too, with shaded fruit and a lack of heat (from too much foliage) in the canopy also associated with increased methoxyprazine.

The other source of methoxyprazine is leaves, which actually have a much higher concentration than fruit.

End result is that if you have a Cabernet made from shaded fruit (as can happen with rough machine pruned vines) and roughly machine harvested grapes (which means more leaves) then you're more likely to get the capsicum/herbal note of methoxyprazine.

Oh and in small doses of argue a little methoxyprazine is what makes Cabernet Cabernet. Too much is too much.

Of course it could be something else all together… 🙂