Pinot Noir vs. Cabernet Sauvignon: Understanding the Key Difference

Here, we illuminate the distinguishing attributes of two of the world’s most celebrated red wines.

Jillian Dara

| May 15, 2025

A hand pours red wine into a glass next to a bottle of wine, with fresh cherries, strawberries, blueberries, a corkscrew, cork, and white flowers arranged on a white table. — 2021 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir is light-bodied with a palate of maraschino cherry and a blueberry compote finish.

Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are both black-grape varieties native to France, but their similarities stop there. These two grapes thrive in different conditions, so they grow in different regions, they have different structural components and flavor profiles, and producers use them in different wines.

This article examines the key differences between these two types of dry red wine grapes, from the climates they prefer to the styles of wine they make.

Pinot Noir vs. Cabernet Sauvignon

The Grapes

Dark grapes pour out of a large metal container into a stainless steel vat in a well-lit room, suggesting the start of a winemaking or grape processing operation. — Quilceda Creek Winery is located in Snohomish, Washington, and specializes in fine Cabernet Sauvignon.

When it comes to breaking down the defining qualities of Pinot Noir vs. Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s best to start with the grapes themselves. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape with high acidity. Its thin skin makes it challenging to grow, which is why producers often call it the heartbreak grape. It can be fickle to ripen if the growing conditions aren’t just right. Conversely, Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t as mercurial thanks to its thick skins, which allow it to grow in both hot and cold climates (though the conditions will result in different types of wines – more on that below).

Their Origins

Rows of grapevines in a vineyard with green and brown leaves; sunlight casts shadows on the ground, which is covered with dry leaves and soil under a clear blue sky. — The Donum Estate in the Carneros region of Sonoma, California has the ideal climate for growing Pinot Noir grapes.

Pinot Noir is native to Burgundy, or Bourgogne, in eastern France. Cabernet Sauvignon is native to Bordeaux, in southern France, where the weather tends to be consistently warmer than in Burgundy. The thin skin of Pinot Noir is sensitive to sunlight; like humans, it can get sunburned, which can lead to shriveled grapes or altered flavors. However, it needs enough sunlight to prevent fungus and rot. The continental climate of Burgundy lends itself to Pinot Noir’s fickle characteristics, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in the warmer Mediterranean, maritime climate in Bordeaux.

Preferred Growing Conditions

A vineyard stretches across rolling hills with a wooden fence in the foreground. A sign on the fence reads “CCOF Certified Organic.” Trees and distant mountains are visible under a clear sky. — Spottswoode’s organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, located at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains in California, is planted in sandy, clay, gravel, and loam soils.

Vintners often discuss the terroir of a wine, which is the influence of the natural elements of where the fruit grows; climate, soil conditions, and topography are the main contributors. Pinot Noir flourishes in well-drained soils, such as limestone and clay. Modern-day Burgundy was once underwater, and limestone and clay are part of the region’s ancient seabed, especially on its steeper vineyard sites. Cabernet Sauvignon vines can grow in a variety of soils, but their native Bordeaux is renowned for its well-draining gravel and sandy soils, which are prominent along the Gironde River.

Key Wines

A group of Quixote wines in dark bottles with gold and red labels are arranged on a wooden table in front of a stone wall, alongside a filled wine glass. — Quilceda Creek offers age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon vintages.

Producers use both Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to craft single-varietal wines (100% Pinot Noir and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon), but they also use them in blends. For example, they often use Pinot Noir in Champagne, and Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component of Bordeaux blends. However, in a still wine, Pinot Noir is nearly always a single-varietal wine.

Experts generally describe Pinot Noir as soft and elegant, with flavors of juicy cherries or pomegranates, alongside floral and earthy notes. They call it “soft” because it usually features low tannins, resulting in a smoother mouthfeel. Tannins are responsible for a wine’s grippy (read: more astringent) mouthfeel, which is evident in a Cabernet Sauvignon wine as the grape is ripe with tannins.

Cabernet Sauvignon also presents a fuller body and structure with darker fruits like blackberry or black cherry alongside undertones of black pepper, vanilla imparted from oak aging, and, depending on the region, green bell pepper (called pyrazines). A single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wine’s higher tannins and fuller body result in a long aging potential, as the best regions in Bordeaux and Napa Valley can age up to 30 years.

In comparison, Pinot Noir typically ages for a short time, and you’ll best enjoy it within five years of release. A warmer climate Cabernet Sauvignon tends to offer more traditional black fruit flavors, whereas a cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignon can feel leaner with a medium body, softer blueberry flavors, and more herbaceous notes of eucalyptus or sage. Of course, there are exceptions, and many of the finest Burgundies have long aging potential.

What Grapes Add to the Wine

When Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are components in a blended wine, they contribute different characteristics that create a balanced final product. In sparkling wines and Champagne, Pinot Noir adds body and structure to the wine, which is why experts often refer to it as the backbone of these expressions. Cabernet Sauvignon adds concentrated black fruit and tannins to a Bordeaux blend, which also helps increase the wine’s aging potential.

Key Regions

A rustic building surrounded by lush green trees sits beyond rows of neatly planted grapevines, with rolling forested hills in the background under a pale sky. — Joseph Phelps Vineyards is among the most prominent Napa Valley wineries.

Outside of their native Bordeaux and Burgundy, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon have found predominantly New World homes.

As Pinot Noir thrives in France’s Champagne as one of the seven approved grapes for the sparkling wine, it’s similarly successful in Sonoma, California’s sparkling varieties and single expressions (read more in our ultimate guide to Champagne and sparkling wine. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is another U.S. destination where Pinot Noir thrives, especially as a single expression. Notable producers include: Alexana, Antica Terra, Soter, and Eyrie.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape in Napa Valley. Winemakers found success with the grape in the early 1960s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the Californian region gained international acclaim as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon received a higher ranking than a Bordeaux expression; you can learn more about these legendary producers in our guide to Napa Valley winemakers. Cabernet Sauvignon’s dominance throughout Napa quickly proliferated from the warmest AVA of Calistoga to the coldest AVA of Spring Mountain, both of which produce outstanding examples. Notable producers include Opus One, Joseph Phelps, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, TOR Wines, and Schrader Cellars.

Chile’s Central Valley is another region with many producers of a single variety of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blends. The Maipo Valley and Colchagua Valley feature a Mediterranean climate moderated by the coast and mountains, similar to Cabernet Sauvignon’s native Bordeaux. Notable producers: Montes, Clos Apalta, MontGras, Laura Hartwig, Lapostolle, Viña Vik.

Famed Pairings

A roasted chicken garnished with herbs and vegetables sits on a wooden table beside a bottle of red wine, a glass of wine, a carving knife, and festive holiday greenery. — Pinot Noir’s light body, delicate tannins, and fruity flavors pair it wonderfully with the sweet and savory notes of braised chicken.

As the saying goes, “what grows together, goes together,” and that is a popular motto to follow when choosing culinary pairings for wine, especially such classic wines as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In Burgundy, wine enthusiasts typically enjoy Pinot Noir with umami-forward dishes, such as mushrooms and truffles (a mushroom risotto or a truffle-topped slice of braised beef), mild and soft cheeses like Brie, or the classic red-wine-braised chicken dish, coq au vin.

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is often served alongside hearty meats like grilled steak or roast lamb, and aged cheeses like Comté. These regional culinary pairings showcase how the flavors of a dish can complement the body and palate of the wine, so that one doesn’t overpower the other. They’re a great starting point for experimenting and discovering your favorite pairing and are another important way to settle the distinction between Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

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