Filtrer

Price

€0.00 - €1,890.00

Color

Type

Vintage

Wine region

Viticulture method

Food and wine

Variety

Medal awards

Wine style

Alcohol content

Storage

Volume

Appellation

Winemaker's name

Grape variety : Cabernet-Sauvignon

1760 Red

1760 Red

Les Vignobles de Maxime - Tourteau Chollet, Grand Lartigue, Ferrand Lartigue Bordeaux
€34.00
Anjou

Anjou

Château du Fresne Loire
€8.80
ANJOU VILLAGES

ANJOU VILLAGES

Château de Bellevue Loire
€12.00
  • HVE
ANQUI

ANQUI

Les vignerons de Tutiac Bordeaux
€11.15
ANQUI

ANQUI

Les vignerons de Tutiac Bordeaux
€9.60
AOC Bordeaux

AOC Bordeaux

Château Le Clos des Bonnets Bordeaux
€8.00
BLANC DE NOIR

BLANC DE NOIR

Château Magdeleine-Bouhou Bordeaux
€15.00
  • Bio
Bordeaux Papillon

Bordeaux Papillon

Château Maison Noble Saint-Martin Bordeaux
€10.00
Bordeaux Rosé -

Bordeaux Rosé -

Château Les Dames de la Renardière Bordeaux
€6.00
  • HVE
Bordeaux Rouge

Bordeaux Rouge

Château Au Grand Paris Bordeaux
€7.25
  • Sold out
Back to top

On top of being one of France’s most celebrated red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is also the most widely planted grape variety in the world. Native to the Bordeaux region, this grape is highly prized for its ability to produce rich, structured wines built for cellaring. Often associated with wines of great quality, Cabernet Sauvignon is a cornerstone in the making of the great Bordeaux crus, but also in many other wine regions around the world. This article explores the origins, favored terroirs, and unique aromatic characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon before offering you some ideas for creating the best food pairings with red and rosé wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet-Sauvignon at a glance

  • Color: red grape
  • Origin: Bordeaux; a 17th-century natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc
  • Regions: Left Bank Bordeaux (Médoc, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien); also Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and the Loire Valley
  • Profile: black fruit (blackcurrant), bell pepper, spice; powerful and tannic
  • Serving temperature: 16 to 18 °C
  • Cellaring: a great grape for cellaring

Description and Origins of Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a red grape born in the 17th century from a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, in the Bordeaux region. It quickly established itself as one of the main grapes of the great Bordeaux wines, in particular in the Médoc appellations. Cabernet Sauvignon is prized for its ability to adapt to different terroirs while retaining a strong, easily recognizable aromatic identity. It is often used in blends with other grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc, to bring structure and longevity to the wines.

The Main Terroirs Where Cabernet Sauvignon Is Grown

In France, Cabernet Sauvignon finds its noblest expression in the Bordeaux area, in particular in prestigious appellations such as AOC Médoc, AOC Haut-Médoc, AOC Pauillac, AOC Margaux, AOC Saint-Estèphe, and AOC Saint-Julien. The gravelly soils of these areas, combined with a temperate oceanic climate, offer ideal conditions for this grape. Cabernet Sauvignon is also grown in other French regions such as Languedoc-Roussillon, where it is often vinified in blends, and in Provence for making structured rosés and reds. This grape is also widely planted abroad, in particular in California, Australia, Italy, and South America, where it produces remarkable wines that express the particular traits of their respective terroirs.

Aromatic Characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon in a red wine:

Appearance: Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon generally show a dark, intense color, ranging from deep ruby to purple, sometimes with violet highlights.

Nose: Powerful and complex, Cabernet Sauvignon stands out with a rich aromatic range of black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry, and black cherry. Added to this are notes of menthol, tobacco, licorice, and spicy nuances like black pepper. More evolved wines develop aromas of leather, undergrowth, and sometimes truffle.

Palate: Cabernet Sauvignon is defined by a solid tannic structure, offering a sense of fullness and density on the palate. The tannins are often quite present, but soften and turn velvety over time. The finish is generally long, with an aromatic persistence marked by fruit and spice.

Serving temperature: Red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon are best enjoyed between 16 and 18 °C.

Cellaring potential: Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon are renowned for their great aging capacity. Depending on the winemaking conditions and the appellation, they can be kept for 10 to 20 years, or even longer depending on the château or the vintage. Over time, these wines develop added complexity and depth, making Cabernet Sauvignon a quintessential cellaring wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon in a rosé wine:

Appearance: Rosé wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon show a deep pink color with orange or copper highlights depending on the winemaking methods.

Nose: On the nose, the rosé made from Cabernet Sauvignon reveals indulgent, fruity aromas, dominated by notes of small red fruits like strawberry, raspberry, and redcurrant. There are also floral touches, such as rose, as well as herbaceous nuances that bring freshness and complexity to the bouquet.

Palate: Rosé Cabernet Sauvignon offers lovely structure with a light acidity that brings liveliness. The red-fruit flavors carry on with citrus notes, sometimes accompanied by a hint of spice.

Serving temperature: To fully enjoy a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé, it is best served chilled, between 8 and 10 °C.

Cellaring potential: Unlike its expression as a red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon rosé is meant to be enjoyed young, ideally within 1 to 2 years to make the most of its freshness.

The Best Food Pairings with Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon, with its ability to produce wines of remarkable richness and complexity, allows for a wide range of food pairings. Follow all our tips to create the best food pairings with a bottle of red or rosé wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon:

Ideal to go with a dry-aged rib of beef or a seven-hour lamb, red Bordeaux wine, and the Médoc in particular, will be sure to elevate your meal. With their aromas of ripe red and black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry), leather, and peppermint, the red wines of the Médoc enjoy great complexity and a lovely richness that let them stand up to dishes with character.

With pork spare ribs or saddle of rabbit, don’t hesitate to serve a fine bottle of red Loire wine from an estate or château in AOC Anjou Rouge made from Cabernet Sauvignon. This appellation offers another side of Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in a cooler climate than in Bordeaux. With its notes of small red fruits, licorice, and its supple tannins, Loire Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect match for your white-meat recipes.

With grilled bell peppers or tuna in tomato sauce, go for a rosé Bordeaux wine from an estate or château in AOC Bordeaux Rosé or Clairet. Though better known for its red wines, the Bordeaux region also produces balanced, fruity rosés that pair wonderfully with light dishes based on vegetables or red-fleshed fish.

Cabernet Sauvignon is an essential grape for lovers of the great wines of Bordeaux and beyond. Whether as a single varietal or in a blend, it continues to win people over with its assertive personality and its ability to age beautifully. To discover and savor the different expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, explore our selection at Avenue des Vins and let yourself be tempted by our bottles, delivered to your door and sourced directly from the estate or château of your choice.

Cabernet Sauvignon around the world

Born in Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most well-traveled red grape there is. Today it is vinified on almost every wine-growing continent, and it often appears under its own name alone on the label, which has made it easy to recognize well beyond France.

Its style follows the climate. On the temperate terroirs of its home region, it gives firm, structured wines built for cellaring. In the warmer climates of Chile, California, or Australia, the grape ripens more fully: there the wines gain in roundness, fruit, and generosity from an early age. In France, it also travels beyond the Bordeaux area: in the Loire Valley, it produces fresher, lighter reds, as in Anjou.

Serving and storing a Cabernet Sauvignon

A red Cabernet Sauvignon, firm and tannic in its youth, benefits from aeration. For a young bottle, about thirty minutes in a decanter softens the tannins and opens up the bouquet. Serve it in a fairly wide glass, which lets the wine breathe and its aromas unfold.

For storage, lay the bottles down away from light and temperature swings, in a cool, stable spot at around 12 °C. It is this steadiness that lets the most structured cuvées improve over the years. Once the bottle is opened, recork it and keep it cool: a Cabernet Sauvignon will still hold for two to three days.

Frequently asked questions about Cabernet Sauvignon

What is the difference between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc?

Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc: Cabernet Franc is therefore one of its parents. On the palate, Cabernet Sauvignon is more tannic, fuller-bodied, and better suited to cellaring. Cabernet Franc, suppler and fresher, plays on finesse and is generally drunk younger.

How do you recognize a Cabernet Sauvignon?

You recognize a Cabernet Sauvignon by its signature of blackcurrant, bell pepper, and cedar, and above all by its tannic framework. Firm and structured, Cabernet Sauvignon stands up straight on the palate; its tannins round out over the years.

Should you decant a Cabernet Sauvignon?

For a young, tannic bottle, twenty to thirty minutes in a decanter softens the texture and opens up the aromas. For an old vintage, go for a short decanting, just to separate the wine from its sediment.

Is Cabernet Sauvignon a cellaring wine?

Yes, it is among the red wines most suited to aging. Its tannic structure serves as its backbone: well stored, the most structured cuvées keep for many years and gain in complexity.