Red Wine

The 8 Most Important Types of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most popular red wine varieties, beloved for its delicious flavors and ageability. Learn everything you need to know about Cabernet Sauvignon here.

By 

Jillian Dara

 |  July 22, 2024

Cabernet Sauvignon is a black, thick-skinned grape native to Bordeaux, France. It produces the world’s most popular style of dry red wine. This grape is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, a black and white grape, respectively, both also from Bordeaux. 

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grow best on the Left Bank, where some of the first growth estates exist. This classification belongs to five estates in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc. These wines are labeled as Premier Cru or Grand Cru, which simply means the wine is produced from grapes grown in the best vineyard sites. Grand Cru wines include some of the rarest and most expensive wines on the market. 

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes flourish outside of France because producers consider the grape relatively easy to grow, unlike other black grapes — such as its blending partner and fellow Bordeaux native, Merlot, and Pinot Noir — which are sensitive to heat. Today you can find Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in nearly every winemaking region in the world, from South Africa to Washington state, and Italy to New Zealand, yet some regions are more renowned for the variety than others. These include California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys, Chile’s Central Valley, and Australia’s Barossa Valley. Of course, each produces its own type of Cabernet Sauvignon depending on climate, terroir, and winemaking style. 

8 Different Types of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

These wine regions produce single varietal and Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends, also referred to as Bordeaux-style blends (using blending partners like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Petit Verdot). Therefore, even though they use the same grape, the final product will differ depending on where and how the wine is made. Still, Cabernet Sauvignon as a wine is generally distinguished by a full body, high tannin content, and concentrated fruit. 

Both single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends have a long potential for aging. In fact, some wineries suggest that collectors cellar them for at least a decade before enjoying them. (After a decade, you will surely need to decant the wine; here’s how to decant wine.)

All these characteristics make Cabernet Sauvignon a wine that begs to be served with food. The most popular food pairings are meats, including grilled steak, roast lamb, and ribs. Discover the most important types of Cabernet Sauvignon wines here. 

Bordeaux, France

Cabernet Sauvignon’s birthplace, Bordeaux, France, is famously divided between Left and Right Bank. The Left Bank has the five first-growth estates of Bordeaux that produce some of the rarest and most expensive wines in the world. Wineries like Château Latour, Château Mouton Rothschild, and Château Lafite Rothschild use Cabernet Sauvignon in their prestigious Bordeaux blends. 

In contrast to single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape comprises the majority of the wine with a small amount of blending grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot to soften the wine. These components also make Bordeaux wines extremely ageable — from 10 to 15 years after the release date. In general, experts recognize the wine for its cassis fruit quality, a combination of blackberry and floral iris on the nose, with a black cherry and noble tannin palate. These characteristics are noticeable upon release. However, with cellaring, the tannins become more elegant while the fruit remains fresh. 

Napa Valley, California

Napa Valley made a name for itself in 1976 when it won the now famed “Judgment of Paris,” a wine competition in which a California Cabernet Sauvignon outscored a Bordeaux. Since then, producers have invested and prioritized single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon throughout the Valley. Though many producers focus on single-varietal wines to showcase the best plots of terroir in Napa, including original plantings and heritage vineyards, some “cult” producers — translating to limited production, highly allocated — do create Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends, like Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Ovid, and Joseph Phelps. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon tasting notes vary among appellations, from Coombsville’s cooler-climate blueberry and elegant tannins to the tobacco and black currant notes found in the quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford AVA.

Sonoma, California 

West of Napa, Sonoma is closer to the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, the heart of the valley is ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, where coastal breezes cool sunny, warm days. The fruit is often smaller here, and thus more concentrated and responsible for the region’s characteristically tannic structure; the palate is also more savory, with herbal components. Like Napa Valley, Sonoma produces two types of Cabernet Sauvignon wines: single varietal and Bordeaux-style blends. Notable producers include Arrowood, Silver Oak, and Chateau St. Jean.

Tuscany, Italy

In Italy, Cabernet Sauvignon is most revered for its use in Super Tuscans. This term denotes a blend produced from Sangiovese, a grape native to Italy, and international grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon is among these grapes and is what brings depth and ageability to these wines that have gained global popularity, particularly in the past 30 years. Bolgheri, a flatter region of Tuscany about 10 miles inland from the western coastline, is the prominent region for Super Tuscans. Popular producers include Ornellaia, Sassicaia, Antinori, and Masseto. Super Tuscans burst with plum fruit, dark cherry, and some cedar spice, and they have a weighty structure. 

Australia 

This New World wine region is earning a reputation for its single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon as well as its Shiraz blends. The oldest continuously producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world are reportedly in the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia, but vines also flourish in the south’s Coonawarra region and McLaren Vale, as well as Margaret River in Western Australia. Its wines typically offer a flavor-intense palate with an opulent style that’s exceptionally balanced between fruit and structure. Try Cabernet Sauvignon from Penfolds, Cullen, and Woodlands. 

Central Valley, Chile

Chile’s Central Valley has a reputation for its intense red wines, like Chile’s flagship, Carmenere, as well as Syrah, but there are also pockets producing well-structured, red-fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon, especially within the Maipu, Cachapoal, and Colchagua Valleys. Here, producers typically combine Cabernet Sauvignon with a minority blending partner, most frequently Cabernet Franc, to create a Bordeaux-style blend that’s both complex upon release and also ageable, often benefiting from a few years in the cellar. The warm conditions result in a dried fruit and pepper characteristic in some of the expressions. French producers, including Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Lapostolle, brought their names to this region. Notable local producers include Seña, Viñedo Chadwick, and Montes. 

Argentina

This South American country may be renowned for its Malbec production, but as Malbec is originally from France, it makes sense that it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to create a more complex and ageable bottle of wine. Winemakers mostly grow Cabernet Sauvignon in the high-altitude regions of Mendoza. This type of Cabernet Sauvignon blend possesses many of the same characteristics of its global counterparts — full body and rich flavor — but also a distinct mint or eucalyptus on the nose and palate. Viña Cobos Nico, D.V. Catena, and Escorihuela Gascon create some delightful Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines. 

Catalunya, Spain 

Catalunya, or Catalonia, is a sprawling region in northeastern Spain that produces both native and international varieties. Among the latter are big, bold Cabernet Sauvignons. Small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon originate from Penedès, Priorat, and Terra Alta, but the grape really thrives in Costers del Segre, where producers typically blend Cabernet Sauvignon with local red grapes like Tempranillo and age it in oak barrels. One of the famed single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wines coming out of Catalunya is from Torres Mas La Plana, a producer since 1970. Expect a jammier palate with a black pepper quality and linear tannins.

Bordeaux, Argentina, Spain images are courtesy of Depositphotos.com 

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