Cabernet Sauvignon is the world's most planted noble red, the grape serious drinkers so often reach for first. Thick-skinned and firmly tannic, it gives deeply coloured wines built around blackcurrant, cedar and graphite, with the structure to age for decades or the ripeness to drink young, depending on where it grows.
Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bordeaux Left Bank
The variety made its name on the gravel soils of the Médoc and Graves, on the Left Bank of the Gironde. Here it is rarely bottled alone. It forms the backbone of the classic Bordeaux blend, rounded out by Merlot, lifted by the perfume of Cabernet Franc and deepened by a little Petit Verdot. The result is a firm, cassis-and-cedar red that ages beautifully, seen at its most complete in Pauillac estates such as Lynch-Bages. Cabernet Sauvignon is itself a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, which explains its herbal, leafy edge.
Napa Valley, Coonawarra and the Super Tuscans
In the New World the grape often stands alone. Napa Valley built its reputation on bigger, riper Cabernet, full of black cherry and sweet oak and usually bottled as a single varietal. Australia's Coonawarra gives a more restrained, minty style off its red terra rossa soil, while Chile's Maipo Valley and South Africa's Stellenbosch turn out structured, well-priced examples. In Tuscany the grape drove the Super Tuscan revolution: Tenuta San Guido makes Sassicaia, a Cabernet-led wine from Bolgheri that rivals the great names of Bordeaux.
Cabernet Sauvignon FAQ
How long should you age Cabernet Sauvignon?
It depends on the wine. Everyday bottles and softer New World styles drink well within a few years. A serious Left Bank Bordeaux or top Napa Cabernet can improve for fifteen to twenty-five years, the tannins settling into something silkier as the fruit turns savoury.
What food pairs with Cabernet Sauvignon?
Reach for red meat. A rare steak, roast lamb or venison is the classic match, the fat and protein softening the tannins. Aged hard cheeses and mushroom dishes work well too.