Vitis vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’

‘One of the choicest red varieties of France, making the high-class Medoc wine. Season: mid-season (third period). Merits: of the highest as to quality, but giving a small crop. Vine: growth vigorous when young, somewhat spreading, but on unsuitable soil grows weak with age; shoots of a dark-reddish mahogany colour, of medium thickness, long joints; buds medium size, downy. Leaves very characteristic, medium sized, as long as they are broad; five-lobed; the indentation or sinus deep, rounded, and overlapping towards their extremities in such a way as to make the leaves appear as if they were pierced with fine holes; teeth sharp and uneven; upper surface of a dark-green colour, smooth and glossy, but uneven; under surface covered with close, short down. Fruit: bunches medium size, conical, slightly shouldered, and rather loose, slender peduncle. Berries, small, round, on along and slender foot-stalk, which turns red as the grape ripens. Skin thick, hard, and black, covered with a fine blue bloom when ripe, apt to fall off when over-ripe. Flesh hard and juicy, with peculiar flavour, which is common to the Cabernets.’ [Despeissis p.258/1903].