Cabernet Cortis

Cabernet Cortis is a red grape developed in Freiburg by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Solaris. The breeding programme sought disease resistance alongside useful wine character, which places it in the modern group often described as PIWI varieties. Its Cabernet name signals a family connection, not a promise that the finished wine will be indistinguishable from Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grape can produce intense colour and a firm, herbal style, with enough tannin to make extraction an important decision in the cellar. It also ripens earlier than its famous parent. Those qualities can be valuable in cooler vineyards, but the final wine still depends on site, ripeness and the producer's handling of skins and maturation.

A dry varietal bottle is worth approaching with food, particularly grilled meat, mushrooms or a substantial bean dish. Ask about structure and oak if you prefer a softer wine. The term disease-resistant describes a vineyard trait; it does not tell you whether the bottle is organic, low intervention or made without sulphites, all of which require separate information.