What is Cabernet Sauvignon?
Cabernet Sauvignon is a full body wine with moderate acidity and tannin. Dark fruit flavours with leather, bell pepper and baking spice notes. Its parents are Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
In this post, we’ll cover some quick facts on the Cab Sauv wine varietal and give you an in-depth analysis of the wine profile to help you understand the Vitis vinifera var Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety.
 
Table of Contents

Introductory Wine Profile / Quick Facts

Appearance, Body Type, Sweetness, Flavours & Aromas
Food Pairings, How to Serve & Comparable Wine Styles
Pronunciation
World Regions
Video: Everything You Need to Know About this Grape Variety




Advanced Wine Profile / Dig Deeper

Name Origin & Synonyms
Tasting Profile & Characteristics
Grape Variety Terroir
Biology & Viticulture



 
Introductory Wine Profile:
Quick Facts About the Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Variety
 
Appearance
What colour wine is Cabernet Sauvignon?
Cabernet Sauvignon ranges from medium ruby to a magenta colour. This wine is not quite as deep in colour or opaque as Syrah but maintains a slight translucency at a young age.
 

 
Wine Body Type
Cabernet Sauvignon can be classified as a medium-to-full bodied wine.
 
Sweetness
Is Cabernet Sauvignon dry or sweet?
Cabernet Sauvignon is considered a dry wine as it has less residual sugar left over after fermentation.
 
Flavours & Aromas

Fruit: blackberry, black currant, black cherry
Floral Violets
Herbal/Vegetal: bell pepper
Earth/Other: baking spices, vanilla, leather, graphite, lead pencil

 
Food Pairings
What foods go with Cabernet Sauvignon wine?
Wine & Cheese Pairings for Cabernet Sauvignon: Strong, hard cheeses
Meat Pairings for Cab Sauv: Steak, barbecued & red meats
Cabernet Sauvignon & Vegetable Pairing: Portobello Mushrooms, grilled vegetables, especially bell peppers
 
How to Serve this Wine
How do you drink Cabernet Sauvignon?
To get the best flavour out of your wine, you should serve Cabernet Sauvignon at 15-18°C (55-65°F).
 
Comparable Wine Styles
What is Cabernet Sauvignon similar to?
Try Cabernet Sauvignon if you like Syrah, Barolo, or Bordeaux blends.
 

How to pronounce Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cab-ehr-NAY sō-vin-YAWN

 
Where are the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines from?
Top Cabernet Sauvignon Producing Countries
Old World Regions

Bordeaux, France
Spain
Tuscany, Italy

New World Regions

Napa Valley, California, USA
Washinton, USA
Chile
Australia
Argentina

 
Our favourite examples of this wine varietal

Chateau Larose Perganson 2010 or 2014
Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

 
 
(VIDEO) Everything You Need to Know About Cabernet Sauvignon
 

 
Advanced Wine Profile on Vitis vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Variety
 
The Origin of the Grape Name
What is the scientific name for Cabernet Sauvignon?
The scientific name for Cabernet Sauvignon is Vitus vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon comes from two grapes: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is believed that in the 17th century there was a chance crossing between the two grapes. Sauvignon is believed to have come from the French word “sauvage” meaning “wild” in reference to the vine growing wild throughout France.
 
Synonyms of this Wine Varietal
Bordeaux, Meritage, Super Tuscan
 
Tasting Profile of the Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Variety
What are the characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon?
 
The Appearance
Cabernet Sauvignon typically possesses very dark fruits, like blackcurrant, black cherries, and blackberries. Used as one of the main blending components in Bordeaux wines, you can almost always smell a dark cherry and earthy aroma, a very pleasing and recognizable Bordeaux feature. Cedar, tobacco, licorice, and vanilla are also common.
One interesting feature of Cabernet Sauvignon is the “green bell pepper” aroma that is very common, especially cooler climate Cab Sauv’s. This is because the grape contains pyrazines, a chemical compound that breaks down as the grape ripens. Cab sauv grapes are late to flower and ripen, and the earlier they are picked, the more pyrazines are present, giving a very vegetal, green bell pepper aroma to the wine. This is not considered a fault in the wine, however, some consumers simply don’t like it.
The hotter the climate, the more jammy fruit characteristics are present. These tend to be the “new world” wines from Australia and Chile. Interestingly, Coonawarra (Australia) wines have a particularly minty, eucalyptus profile.
 
Aroma, Flavours & Mouthfeel of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
What does a Cabernet Sauvignon taste like?
Medium to dark-coloured wine, depending on where it’s grown (moderate climate Cab Sauv leans to the slightly lighter than dark, hot climate wines tend to be quite dark), full body with deep red garnet tones.
 
Grape Variety Terroir
In what conditions does Cabernet Sauvignon grow?
Cabernet Sauvignon is a hearty grape that grows well in most climates and conditions. It is a late budding flower, often several weeks after Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This, in turn, means it is late to ripen grape, which can be tricky in continental climates like Bordeaux. In consistent hot climates, it is often planted in vineyards with full sun to give the grape a fruity, jammy profile (the more sun the grape gets, the more fruit-forward it will be). It grows in a variety of soils and elevations, from rocky granite to iron-rich. The flavours of the wine are not necessarily impacted by the soil as much as they are by climate. The longer the bunches hang on the vine, the more sun they receive, the riper they become.
 
Biology of the Grape Variety
Cabernet Sauvignon’s parentage was a long-held mystery, with some believing it was a native French wild vine to an ancient grape from Rome. In 1996, with the magic of modern DNA testing, it was found to be the love child of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, hence the common name Cabernet Sauvignon we know today. It possesses certain characteristics of each parent, from the dark fruit notes from the Cabernet Franc to the grassy, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc.
 







View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kathleen K Prati (@komartini) on Aug 29, 2018 at 3:00pm PDT



 
Viticulture: About the Grapevine
The vine itself grows well in most soil conditions, however, gravel-based vines that are well-drained tend to radiate more heat to the vine and fruit, aiding the ripening process. Clay and limestone soils hold on to that heat, delaying the ripening process. In hotter climates, the less fertile the soil the better, as the vine is forced to store nutrients and root deeper into the ground to look for water. This can produce lower grape yields, but the flavour concentration of the fruit is higher. Generally, the vine is prone to high yields that can sometimes result in less flavourful fruit. Wineries, particularly in cooler climates, have to be prudent in their pruning practises, to ensure the vines are properly balanced with the appropriate amount of foliage to fruit ratio.
 
Viticulture: About the Grape
The grape is dark-coloured, almost black, with long hanging bunches. It is not prone to many diseases, except for powdery mildew. The skins are thick and give the wine a strong tannin backbone.
 

Discovering Wine for the first time? You may also like…

Red Wine Types – Popular Varietals

Pinot Noir
Tempranillo
Zinfandel
Petit Verdot
Syrah (aka Shiraz)
Sangiovese
Petite Sirah (aka Durif)
Cabernet Sauvignon

 
White Wines Types – Popular Varietals

Muscat Ottonel

Muscat Blanc (Moscato d’Asti)

Gewürztraminer

Viognier

Torrontes

Semillon
Chenin Blanc


 
Learning About Wine Series

Beginner’s Guide to Wine – Beyond White & Red
Intermediate Wine Guide – Aroma & Taste
Advanced Wine Guide – Acidity, Tannins & Finish


When is Cabernet Day?
National Cabernet Day falls on the Thursday before Labour Day. The holiday was thought up in 2010 by Rick Bakas and ever since has been celebrated with the hashtag #CabernetDay!
In 2019, Cabernet Day will be celebrated on Thursday, August 29th. Learn about the 3 types of Cabernet wines below to help you decide which Cabernet, you’re going to celebrate with:
 
What is Cabernet?
The robust Cabernet family brings us some of the world’s best wines. The three types of Cabernet wines are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Ruby Cabernet.
The Cabernet family vine looks like this: Cabernet Franc begot Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon begot Ruby Cabernet.
 
What colour is Cabernet?
Cabernet wines are made from red grapes, so typically cabernet wines are red in colour. They can be used in red blends to give them a deeper red almost purple colour, however, Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon are often found as standalone wines.
As a matter of fact, the popularity of the son has overcome the father and Cabernet Sauvignon is not only the most planted varietal in the world, but it is also the most purchased.

 
What is Cabernet Sauvignon?
Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied wine is grown all over the world. It is a very good example of how a varietal receives different qualities from its terroir. Due to its high tannic nature, it ages superbly, but it can still be drunk young especially if you like a wine with sturdy tannins. Click here to learn more about the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety.
 
When is Cabernet Sauvignon Day?
Cabernet Sauvignon has its own international day, and it’s pretty close to Cabernet Day too! International Cabernet Sauvignon day is on August 30th. 
 
Is Cabernet Sauvignon dry or sweet?
Like most wines, Cabernet Sauvignon can be dry or sweet. Most Cab Sauvs are made with 2 to 11 grams per litre of residual sugar, which would make these wines considered dry or extra dry. But of course, winemakers can choose to make the wines sweeter as they choose.
 
What does Cabernet Sauvignon taste like? Flavours and Aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon

Fruit: Dark fruits, blackberry, black current, dark cherry, red fruits
Vegetable: Green bell pepper
Floral: Violets
Spice: Pepper, Licorice/Anise
Earth: Tobacco, Leather

 
What foods pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon?
If Cabernet Sauvignon is your choice of Cab for #CabernetDay, you’ll want to pair it with some strong cheeses like Stilton, Cheddar and Gruyere. If you’re looking to pair your Cab Sauv with an entree, try roasted and grilled vegetables like peppers and mushrooms. And of course, for dessert, nothing complements Cabernet Sauvignon better than chocolate!
Check out our list of Cabernet Sauvignon wines to drink for Cabernet Day.


What is Cabernet Franc?
Cabernet Franc has a lighter colour than Cabernet Sauvignon and while it retains some of the same characteristics, it is a more medium-bodied alternative. It thrives in cooler climates like Bordeaux and Northern Italy where it is used in red blends but is used as a single varietal in Loire Valley and also Canada for ice wine. Many warmer new world regions like Australia, South Africa and South America are also experimenting with it and having incredible results. Click here for a more in-depth look on the Cabernet Franc wine variety.
 
When is Cabernet Franc Day?
Cabernet Franc also has its own international day– we just love the Cabernets! International Cabernet Franc day is on December 4th. 
 
What does Cabernet Franc taste like? Flavours and Aromas of Cabernet Franc

Fruit: Raspberry, blackcurrant, blueberry
Vegetable: bell pepper, tomato leaves, grass
Floral: violets
Spice: cassis, pepper
Earth: tobacco, graphite, pencil shavings

 
What foods should you eat with a Cabernet Franc wine?
Cabernet Franc has a medium body and medium tannins, which makes it very food-friendly. It’s the perfect wine for your Cabernet Day festivities! Cab Franc pairs well with lighter meats like chicken and pork. Due to its veggie aromas and flavours, it also goes quite well with Italian foods that use fresh herbs like pizza, pasta and especially a lasagna. If you’re feeling Charcuterie, add strong cheeses like blue, gorgonzola and goat cheese. And for dessert an alluring poached, baked or caramelized red fruit dish is lovely.
Check out our list of Cabernet Franc wines to drink for Cabernet Day.

 
What is Ruby Cabernet?
Ruby Cabernet, the least known member of the Cabernet family, is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. It is what is known as an Olmo grape variety. This is the name given to all grape varieties created by Dr. Harold Olmo at UC Davies in California. He created this hybrid in order to obtain the superior qualities of the Cabernet family, but the heat resistance of the Carignan. It is grown in many warmer climates and is used to improve the qualities of bulk and table wines, but without making the product too expensive as adding Cabernet Sauvignon would. You could call it a filler grape.
 
When is Ruby Cabernet Day?
Unfortunately, Ruby Cabernet does not have its own official day. (sad face) However, if someone decides to make one up, you can always let us know! In the meantime, you can check out our complete list of all the wine holidays in the year.
 
Are there Ruby Cabernet wines that are not blends?
Yes, there are Ruby Cabernet wines that are not part of a blend, like Botticelli Coleção Ruby Cabernet from Brazilian winery, Vale do São Francisco and Sweet Ruby Cabernet 2005 from Texas winery Lone Star Wine Cellars.
 
What does Ruby Cabernet wine taste like? Flavours and Aromas of Ruby Cabernet

Fruit: cherry, raspberry and red fruits
Vegetable: bell pepper
Floral: violets and other strong florals
Spice: pepper
Earth: tobacco

 
What foods go well with Ruby Cabernet?
A standalone Ruby Cabernet wine would pair well with cured meats or cheese such as Mozzarella, Monterey Jack and Swiss. A Ruby Cabernet blend, it is a little more tricky as it depends which other varieties are part of the blend. A safe bet would be foods that have a butter base and more specifically French-inspired cuisine. However, if you’re having trouble, check out our guide to pairing wine with any type of food.
 
Whichever way you take your Cabernet,
we hope a have a glorious National Cabernet Day!
 
Now that you’re ready to celebrate National Cabernet Day, here’s more great reading on grapes, wine varietals and styles:

The Complete Guide to Every Official Wine Holiday in the Year
Red Wine vs White Wine – What’s the Difference?
Old World vs New World Wine – What’s the Difference?


Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
