"Est vieilli le meilleur" (aged is best). This is the name of the game with cabernet sauvignon. That's because the secret to cabernet sauvignon's prowess as a wine of choice is a meticulous aging process.

Cabernet sauvignon is a red wine varietal that hails from the wineries of the famed district of Medoc in Bordeaux, France. According to studies conducted in 1997, cabernet sauvignon is the result of interbreeding sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc.

A glass of young and fresh cabernet sauvignon is resplendent of black currants and is very tannic. As the precious liquid ages, it gets hints of cherries, blackberries, ceday, bell peppers, green olives, pimientos, green peppercorns, and ginger.

You may also recognize the parfums of cedar, eucalyptus, leather, a cigar box, oak, earth, and chocolate emanating from this blood-colored elixir. Further downing a shot of cabernet sauvignon causes you to identify more saveur of coconuts, vanilla, musk, smoke, sweet wood, toast, and mushrooms.

These flavors and fragrances get more pronounced as the cabernet sauvignon advances with age. Truly, est vieilli le meilleur.

A very versatile grape, cabernet sauvignon, adapts well to being planted in many different regions around the World. This grape makes the reference reds that other wines are compared to. Mixed with merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot in the Bordeaux regions of Medoc and Graves this grape makes the archetypal red wine. A wine that exists at a peak of refinement and allusiveness which few other wines can match.

Its life span after a good vintage can extend twenty or thirty years and beyond.

In California The cabernet sauvignons possess an enormously tannic and alcoholic wine barely tamed by its oak barrels. Their grandeur is unique and affords real aging potential where the wine takes on a chocolate softness.

For sheer drinkability cabernet sauvignon from Chile is hard to beat. The plum and mulberry fruit undertones have a purity and exuberance rarely matched from cabernet sauvignons of other countries.

Cabernet Franc is one of the leading varietals of red wine produced in Bordeaux, France. Cabernet Franc has a peppery aroma and fruity flavor that is more delicate than its close relative, the Cabernet Sauvignon. Depending on the place of production and the specific wine making process, Cabernet Franc may also exude aromas of tobacco, raspberry, and cassis. It has a lower tannin level and has a distinct blueberry/raspberry flavor. Cabernet Franc is usually mixed with other varietals of wine like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In recent times, wine producers have increasingly sold Cabernet Franc as a stand alone varietal.

Aside from the Bourdeaux region, Cabernet Franc is also produced in the Loire Valley. Other countries such as Argentina, the Balkan states, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Romania, and South Africa also produce Cabernet Franc. Of particular interest is the ice wine made from Cabernet Franc in Canada. Ice wine is a type of dessert wine made from grapes that were frozen while still on the vine.

Very flexible. These are words that best describe semillon. The semillon grape is one of the three major white wine varieties of the port city of Bordeaux in poetic France. During the 18th century, seeds of the precious semillon spread to Australia, the land down-under. Now, semillon is also widely served on the dining tables in the golden state of California. Semillon is a hardy plant, able to resist climate changes and cold weather.

Semillon is most often used as the base for sweet Barsac and Sauternes. It is also usually fused with the freshness of sauvignon blanc or chardonnay to create an amazing mixture of robustness and playfulness.

Wine from the semillon can be drunk young or aged. Alone and in its youth, semillon is resplendent of the flavor of figs, herbs, and lemons. As it ages, the taste and scent of this wine gets more and more hints of flowers, nuts, and honey. Semillon stays palatable for five years.

Welcome to the Virtual Wine Tasting Club. Every month in our online wine tasting series we will taste a different wine and post our tasting notes. In advance, if possible, please post the wine you will be trying that fits the tasting. The tasting will last one month so you can taste and post your notes in that time frame. Please ask questions about the wine we're tasting, post recommendations for future wine tastings and make this online wine tasting group a wonderful, interactive, informative wine discussion.

Welcome to the Australia Wine Group. I'm looking for several group leaders from all over the country to to take over this group once we get it up and running. If you would like to organize or plan things please let me know. If you are in the area please join up. If you know of an event or tasting in the area please post it.