Blackcurrant, cedar and a firm grip: the red grape the whole world plants.
Where it grows
Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Bordeaux, in south-west France. It is the backbone of the great red wines of the Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde, where gravel soils warm up and drain well. There it is almost always blended, usually with Merlot and a little Cabernet Franc.
From Bordeaux it travelled everywhere. Napa Valley in California, Coonawarra and Margaret River in Australia, Chile’s Maipo Valley, Tuscany and South Africa all make famous versions. It is a late-ripening grape with thick skins, so it needs a warm, sunny season to lose its green, leafy edge.
How it tastes
Think blackcurrant and black cherry first, then cedar, pencil shavings, mint and sometimes a hint of green pepper. It is full-bodied, with fresh acidity and plenty of tannin, the drying grip you feel on your gums.
Most Cabernet spends time in oak barrels, which adds vanilla, toast and smoke. Young, it can feel tight and firm. With five to ten years in bottle, the tannins soften and notes of tobacco, leather and cigar box appear. The best Bordeaux and Napa wines age for decades.
Warm places such as Napa and Australia give riper, plusher wines. Bordeaux is usually leaner, more savoury and more structured.
What to eat with it
- Steak frites: tannin binds to the protein and fat in red meat, so the wine feels softer with every bite.
- Roast leg of lamb: rosemary and garlic love Cabernet’s minty, cedary side.
- Beef burger: a ripe New World Cabernet handles char and melted cheese.
- Aged hard cheese: an old Comté or a mature Cheddar meets the wine’s structure.
- Mushroom and lentil dishes: earthy, savoury food without meat still has enough body.
A little history
Cabernet became famous in the 18th century, when Bordeaux estates in the Médoc began to plant it on drained marshland and gravel banks. Its thick skins resisted rot in the damp Atlantic climate, and its tannin let the wines survive long sea journeys to England and northern Europe. In 1976, at the “Judgment of Paris” tasting, a Napa Cabernet beat top Bordeaux wines in a blind test, and the grape’s global rise began. Today it is the most widely planted red grape in the world.
One bottle to start with
For a classic, look for a Haut-Médoc or a Médoc from a good recent vintage, which gives you the Bordeaux style at a fair price. For something riper and rounder, a Cabernet from Chile’s Maipo Valley is a reliable choice. If you prefer something softer that grips the same dishes, try the Catena Malbec (about €15) from our list.
Good to know
- Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, discovered by DNA testing in the 1990s.
- “Left bank” Bordeaux is mostly Cabernet; “right bank” wines such as Saint-Émilion are mostly Merlot.
- Serve it at 16–18 °C in a large glass. Young bottles benefit from an hour in a decanter.
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Photo: Tom Van Dyck on Pexels
Prices were checked in October 2026 and can change. Please drink responsibly. L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération.