About Cabernet Sauvignon

About Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety that is the source of some of the world’s most celebrated and longest-lived reds. Grown in many countries, it is most famous in Bordeaux, where it is the principal grape in red Bordeaux as well as in California – especially Napa Valley- where it is labeled by its varietal name.

Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas and flavors of black currant, cassis, black cherry and sometimes plum (in warmer regions or vintages). Quite rich on the palate, the variety is very tannic, giving its wines a bitter edge in their youth, but also providing the wines with great aging potential, with top flight examples drinking well for as long as four or five decades. Given their richness and flavor profile, wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon need to be paired with rich red meats, such as steaks and roasts as well as game.

Besides France and California, other countries with warm growing regions also excel with Cabernet Sauvignon. These include the Maipo and Colchagua Valleys in Chile as well as the Bolgheri district, situated on the coast of Tuscany.

Top Picks for Cabernet Sauvignon

Mira Winery 2019  Cabernet Sauvignon
97 points
$95
A plush, seamless Napa Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest hedonic order.
Awards: 2025 Top 2 Cabernet Sauvignon
AvinoDos 2021 Single Vineyard Founders Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
95 points
$120
A decadent, yet delicate Diamond Mountain Cabernet with deep wells of fruit, judicious spicy oak, and pitch perfect minerality to tie it all together; the total package.
Jacob Franklin 2011 Single Barrel Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
95 points
$150
A complex and layered savory Cabernet with Napa ripeness and Old World style and swagger with all four grapes playing their proper symphonic role.
Mira Winery 2019 Schweizer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$150
An alluring, seamless and sensuous Stags Leap District Cabernet that hits all of the high notes in a classy and captivating way.
Wakefield 2022 Masterstroke Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$45
A rich herb and umami forward cabernet that will be a superb dinner companion.
Cerro 2021  Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$100
Dark fruit leads the way for this approachable and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that is ready to drink now.
The Beau Vigne Collection 2023 Cult Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$125
A plush, dense packed Napa Cabernet with lots to offer now and will be even better with a little cellaring.
Corner 103 2020  Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$70
A charming, very lively Sonoma Cabernet with bright fruit and creamy, well-balanced oak.
Arrington Vineyards 2021 KB 15*21 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
$58
With its restrained oak, this Cab Sauv is able to show off its high quality of complex, phenolically ripe mountain fruit; a real winner.
AvinoDos 2021 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
93 points
$66
A big, bold Cabernet from Stags Leap, perfect for a steak house wine list.