Cabernet Sauvignon
What Is Cabernet Sauvignon?
Pronunciation: Cab-ehr-nay SOH-vin-yon
Cabernet Sauvignon is an extremely popular red-wine grape variety known for making full-bodied, firm-textured wines that often age well. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are used largely for dry red wines and occasionally in rosé wines.
It is a black grape variety famous for its concentrated flavors and firm tannins. It is used in making the great wines of Bordeaux, as well as collectible Napa Valley wines, among others.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a late-ripening variety that yields moderate-size crops of thick-skinned, blue-black grapes hanging in loose clusters from copper-colored canes.
The grapes are often blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot in wines ranging from generic red Bordeaux to the collectible first-growth wines of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Latour in the Médoc region.
Cabernet Sauvignon Regions
Originating in Bordeaux, France, the grape variety spread quickly around the world in the late 20th century. Today, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are widely planted in Bordeaux, California, Washington state, Australia and Chile. Since the 1970s, the grape variety has become practically synonymous with Napa Valley wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Notes
Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are typically deep red to almost black in color, full in body, astringent or grippy in texture to help the wine age and tasting of black cherries, dark plums and hints of herbs, bell peppers and tobacco.
The tannins and flavor concentration come from the grape variety’s thick skins and small berries. These traits are usually refined by maturing in oak barrels for six to 24 months before bottling. These traits also help Cabernet Sauvignon wines age and improve over time in the bottle, often getting more complex and elegant for 10 to 20 and even sometimes for 50 years or more.
Cabernet Sauvignon Fun Facts
- Genetic testing has shown that Cabernet Sauvignon is—to no great surprise–the “child” of a cross between “parents” Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux.
- Super Tuscan blends from Italy often use Cabernet Sauvignon as a major ingredient in their blends.
- Cabernet Sauvignon vines are relatively easy-to-grow, give good yields per acre and are resistant to mildew.
- Great Bordeaux vintages of the past include 1945, 1959, 1961, 1970, 1982, 1990 and 2000.
Cabernet Sauvignon Synonyms
Petit Cabernet, Vidure, Petite-Vidure, Bouchet, Bouche, Petit-Bouchet and Sauvignon Rouge.
Cabernet Sauvignon Pairs Well With
Grilled Steak and Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing
Grilled Rack of California Lamb with Collard Almond Pesto
Beef Cheeks with Roasted Root Vegetable Jam
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Sardinian Pasta with Sausage & Tomato
Sumac and Za’atar Roast Chicken
More on Cabernet Sauvignon
The Most Popular Cabernet Sauvignons and How We Rated Them
A Global Guide to Great Cabernet Sauvignon
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Chappellet 2019 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaAn extremely concentrated and well-structured wine, it offers flinty, toasty, tarry aromas, ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$325 -
Château Palmer 2020 Margaux
BordeauxMassively rich already with density and opulence, this powerful wine is half-and-half ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$342 -
Château Pichon Baron 2020 Pauillac
BordeauxMade with a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine offers dark ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$166 -
Hertelendy 2018 Legend Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaThe dusky, spicy, graphite and tobacco aromas in this powerful but polished ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$235 -
Beringer 2019 Steinhauer Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain)
NapaThis quietly powerful wine grown at 1,900 feet elevation is deep, dark ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$150 -
Corison 2019 Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaThis snugly wrapped, agile, medium-bodied wine from old vines keeps a core ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$225 -
Daou 2020 Soul of a Lion Cabernet Sauvignon (Adelaida District)
Central CoastImpressively dark in the glass, this bottling pairs intense purple fruit and ...See Full Review$170 -
Shafer 2018 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon (Stags Leap District)
NapaShafer's iconic, flagship wine is richly textured and flavor packed. It starts ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$375 -
Château Calon Ségur 2020 Saint-Estèphe
BordeauxThis wine has a touch of spice to go with its powerful ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$121 -
Arkenstone 2019 Estate Red (Howell Mountain)
NapaThis mountain-grown blend of Bordeaux varieties, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, offers power with ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$225 -
Whitehall Lane 2019 Leonardini Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaRobust in flavor and firmly tannic in texture, this bold and full-bodied ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$85 -
Beringer 2019 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaTempting aromas of violets and black currants lead to delicious black fruit ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$170 -
Clif Family 2019 Cima Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain)
NapaHandsome, intricate oak spices top off this complex and layered wine beautifully, ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$150 -
Beringer 2019 Bancroft Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain)
NapaThis luxurious wine offers great concentration of black fruits and dark chocolate, ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$150 -
Mira 2018 MBar Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)
NapaIntricate aromas, bold flavors and a lush texture add up to greatness ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$175 -
Château Rauzan-Ségla 2020 Margaux
BordeauxThis wine has a fine structure, with dense tannins from the Cabernet ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$103 -
Beringer 2019 Borrow Pit Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)
NapaRich, ripe, voluptuous fruit and oak-spice flavors imbue this wine with complexity ...See Full Review$150 -
Mira 2017 Schweizer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Stags Leap District)
NapaThis bold, ripe-tasting and quite tannic wine needs plenty of time to ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$250 -
V. Sattui 2019 Preston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
NapaWell integrated and intriguing oak spices from cinnamon to cedar and tobacco ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$95 -
Ehlers Estate 2019 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena)
NapaThis rich, concentrated and relaxed wine wraps supersoft tannins around plump black ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$149
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