1998 Tobin James Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

[robr]

For anyone interested, "cassis", a frequently noted flavor in Cabernet Sauvignon, is blackcurrant, which is hard to find here in the US. Here's an interesting history of it, and its use in GB:

The blackcurrant is a temperate shrub which produces small edible berries with a high natural vitamin C content, which are very dark purple/blue in colour—almost black—hence the name. Like the other true currants (not to be confused with the Zante currant, a type of grape which is often dried), it is classified in the genus Ribes.

Blackcurrants have a slightly bitter taste. They are made into jelly, jam, ice cream, cordial and liqueur. In the UK, Europe and Commonwealth countries, some types of confectionery include a blackcurrant flavour, but this is generally missing in the United States, even within the same brand.

In the USA, grape flavour in candy (including grape jelly) almost mirrors the use of blackcurrant in both its ubiquity there, and its rarity on the opposing side of the Atlantic.

In UK bars, the blackcurrant cordial is referred to simply as "black", as in "vodka and black", "snakebite and black", "Pernod and black", or "black and lemonade". In North America, blackcurrant cordial is more commonly known as crème de cassis whilst in Britain and France crème de cassis is an alcoholic blackcurrant liqueur, used for making the popular apéritif Kir; the city of Dijon in France particularly known for this liqueur. In the Netherlands, cassis is a popular, red-coloured, soft drink with a blackcurrant flavour.

When not in fruit, the aspect of the plant is very similar to the redcurrant; however, there is a way to distinguish them. The leaves and stems of the blackcurrant have a strong odour reminiscent of cat's urine.

Blackcurrants are a rich source of vitamin C. During World War II other fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, became almost impossible to obtain in the United Kingdom. Blackcurrant cultivation was encouraged by the Government and the yield of the nation's crop increased significantly. From 1942 almost the entire British blackcurrant crop was made into blackcurrant syrup (or cordial) and distributed to the nation's children for free, giving rise to the lasting popularity of blackcurrant flavourings in Britain.

In Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, a blackcurrant cordial under the brand name of Ribena (from the genus name) is principally marketed as a 'healthy' (if extremely sweet) drink for children.

Blackcurrant seed oil is a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a very rare essential fatty acid.


Blackcurrants shrubBlackcurrants are rare in the United States because, in the early 1900s, currant farming was banned due to its ability to spread disease among white pines which threatened the then-booming lumber industry. Currant growing is now making a comeback in the United States; however, the fruit is not well-known and so has not reached the popularity that it has seen in Europe.

Studies have also shown concentrated blackcurrant to be an effective Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (Bormann, et al. 1993.) 50 grams of 5.5X concentrate was found to inhibit 92% of the Monoamine oxidase enzymes.