Waitrose are currently stocking this rather nice Chinese red. It is made from the Cabernet Gernischt grape variety, a cross of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. I tasted another wine from this producer last year, which was similar in style.
Changyu Cabernet Gernischt Blend 2011 Ningxia, China
12.5% alcohol. Lovely aromatic nose is very Loire-like and supple, with cherry fruit and a leafy greenness that’s really attractive. Sweetly perfumed. The palate is supple and really smooth, with a silky texture and medium weight. Leafy berry and cherry fruit dominate. More Loire-like than Bordeaux, and with a very sweet fruit profile. 88/100 (£9.99 Waitrose, currently on offer at £7.99)
So the Father is also the Grandfather assuming of course Sauvignon Blanc is Cab Sav’s Mother 😉
Dear Jamie, could you please tell me where you saw that Cabernet Gernischt is a cross between Sauvignon and Franc? Is it on Waitrose material? I am very interesting as there is still a lot of speculation about the exact nature of this grape variety. Some people think that it is original from China (which is unlikely), some think that it is Cabernet Franc. However, the most interesting thing we red in China at the beginning of this year is that China’s biggest wine producer Changyu sent samples of Gernischt for DNA profiling to Switzerland. The laboratory which undertook the tests said it was similar at 99.999% to Carmenere!