Cabernet Sauvignon
RedWarm climate
Thick-skinned, naturally tannic grape. Blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux; made as single varietal in New World regions.
Highly age-worthy; tannins soften over 5-20+ years.
Climate
Warm
Regions
18 regions
Color
Red
Typical Structure & Aromas
Typical profile for this variety. Style varies by region, climate, and winemaking.
Structure
Where Cabernet Sauvignon grows
Chile
Colchagua Valley
Warm, sun-soaked Chilean Cabernet. Cassis, dark cherry, graphite, and cedar over polished tannins, with the hillside Apalta sites adding mineral lift and ageing capacity.
Maipo Valley
Chile's classic Andean Cabernet. Blackcurrant and tobacco lifted by a signature thread of mint and eucalyptus, with vibrant acidity and graphite from alluvial soils.
France
Bordeaux
The Left Bank's home grape, on deep gravel beds. Cassis, cedar, graphite, and tobacco, framed by firm tannin built for decades of cellaring.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Full-bodied, warm-climate blends with ripe dark fruit
Spain
Costers del Segre
The flagship variety of Raimat since the Raventós family planted French varieties in the 1970s. Used alone and as the spine of estate Bordeaux blends across the central sub-zones
Montsant
A minor but officially authorized variety, usually in small blending proportions
Navarra
One of the few Spanish regions where Cabernet is officially sanctioned, often blended with Tempranillo
United States
Columbia Valley
Washington's biggest red. Long sunny days on basalt and loess give dark cherry, cassis, sage, and smoke, with Red Mountain producing the most tannic, structured wines.
Lodi
Ripe, approachable Cabernet with dark fruit and soft tannins. Warm climate produces generous, fruit-forward wines.
Napa Valley
America's benchmark Cabernet. Oakville and Rutherford bring plush black cherry, blackcurrant, and Rutherford-dust tannin; mountain sites add structure and freshness.
New York
Reaches full ripeness only on Long Island; structured, savoury, often blended with Merlot.
Paso Robles
Rich, fruit-forward, with soft tannins. Warm inland climate.
Santa Cruz Mountains
Mountain-grown Cabernet with intense dark fruit and fine tannins.
South Coast
Ripe, approachable Cabernet from Temecula Valley. Dark fruit and vanilla from warm days moderated by ocean breezes.