Few varietals boast character as bold and outspoken as cabernet sauvignon, making it an exemplary anchor for our renowned ISOSCELES blend. Cabernet sauvignon is one of the unchallenged “noble grape” varieties, followed by pinot noir and Riesling. These grapes have earned that title thanks to their ability to produce clearly distinctive, high-quality wines for hundreds of vintages.

In Bordeaux – the region of cabernet’s origin – this late-ripening variety often struggles to fully mature due to the region’s cooler, maritime climate. The practice of blending cabernet with earlier-ripening grape varieties like merlot and cabernet franc arose from this challenge, helping winemakers ensure consistent quality across vintages. These blends gave Bordeaux wines the complexity, balance, and longevity for which they are now legendary.

In California – and especially in Paso Robles – our warmer climate and longer growing season allow cabernet sauvignon to ripen and mature more fully, making it possible to craft exceptional varietal wines (wines made from a single grape variety) without the need for blending.

Another advantage of blending cabernet is that, when done carefully, it can produce wines that are greater than the sum of their components in both complexity and balance. It’s a bit like taking a precious stone and cutting or polishing it to bring out added features not initially apparent. A skilled artisan can work magic with the right components.

While we make great Cabernet in Paso Robles vintage after vintage, its bold character can be transformed by adding merlot – a grape that typically shows a ripe blue fruit character (think ripe plum). Merlot softens cabernet’s bold character, making the tannins less pronounced and further enhancing cabernet’s blackcurrant and black cherry notes. Blending can smooth a wine’s rough edges and add elegance, but it can also inadvertently erase character. An overwhelming amount of care is required in the blending process, and sometimes another grape variety with different characteristics is needed.

Cabernet franc, a variety long grown in Bordeaux, exhibits flavors of bright red fruit (think barely ripe raspberry or strawberry). Savory tobacco leaf adds an herbal note and a clean feel to the palate, preventing the fruit from becoming too ripe or jammy. In the ISOSCELES blend, cabernet franc is often the component that makes the biggest difference – even if it is only a minor component of the blend – a sort of secret weapon.

All this said, two key components are required to make an exceptional blend like ISOSCELES: availability of quality fruit, grown in conditions that bring out the best in each variety, and a winemaker who can recognize this character and has the skills to combine them into something exceptional. At JUSTIN, we have both: the exceptional wine-growing region of Paso Robles and Scott Shirley, who is responsible for every aspect of each vintage of ISOSCELES.

Try our current vintage and experience for yourself why cabernet sauvignon is the mainstay of our ISOSCELES blend.