The house grapes · red
Cabernet Sauvignon: the red the whole world plants
Cabernet Sauvignon makes a dark, full-bodied red with firm tannin, the kind that gives your mouth a slight squeeze. The aroma brings to mind blackberry, plum and, sometimes, green bell pepper. If you've ever ordered a bolder red at a restaurant, chances are you drank one.
Where it comes from
It's from Bordeaux, in France, and was born from a cross nobody planned. In 1997, two researchers at the University of California, Davis compared the grape's DNA and found its parents: Cabernet Franc, which is red, and Sauvignon Blanc, which is white. The name, which seemed like a coincidence, was a birth certificate.
According to the research, the cross probably happened on its own, between neighboring vines. By the 17th century, the grape was already in Bordeaux's vineyards.
What it's like in the glass
The berry is small and the skin is thick. The result: lots of color and lots of tannin. Tannin is that dry-mouth feeling, like strong black tea; it's not a flaw, it's the wine's backbone. The body, which is the weight of the wine in your mouth, tends to be high: think whole milk, not skim.
On the nose, dark fruit: blackberry, plum, jam. When the grape is picked earlier, a green bell pepper smell shows up, which comes from a natural substance in the grape, pyrazine. If the wine spent time in an oak barrel, vanilla, coffee and chocolate come in.
The good ones are age-worthy wines that hold up for years in the bottle. Over time, the green side fades, the tannin softens and more complex aromas appear, reminiscent of leather and wet earth.
What it pairs with
Tannin loves fat and protein. The fat in the meat softens the squeeze, and the wine cleans your mouth for the next bite. That's why it's the classic partner for churrasco, Brazilian barbecue: picanha, beef ribs, cupim (hump steak), linguiça sausage. Other ideas that usually work:
- Cheeseburger
- Lasagna bolognese and pot roast
- Roast lamb
- Aged cheeses, like canastra and parmesan
- Calabresa sausage pizza
With delicate fish or moqueca (Brazilian fish stew), the tannin can steal the show. Want to try it anyway? Go ahead: pairing is a suggestion, and your palate decides.
Where it shines today
In the last big survey by the OIV, the world wine organization, with 2015 data, it covered 341,000 hectares: the most planted wine grape on the planet. Fun fact: in that snapshot, China had more Cabernet Sauvignon than France.
Another surprise: in its homeland, it's a minority. In Bordeaux, only 22.5% of the red grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot takes up 66%, according to the region's wine council. In the house's four countries:
- Chile: it's the country's most planted grape, with 27% of its wine vineyards in 2024, and the main one in the Maipo Valley.
- Argentina: it's the fourth grape by area, behind Malbec, Cereza and Bonarda, and the second most exported varietal, after Malbec. More than three quarters of it is in Mendoza.
- Brazil: it's the most planted fine red grape in Rio Grande do Sul, according to Embrapa's Cadastro Vitícola (vineyard registry, 2015 data). In the Vale dos Vinhedos Denomination of Origin (DO), it only goes into blends with Merlot.
- Portugal: it's an authorized variety, but it tends to play the role of seasoning. On the house list, almost every Portuguese wine with Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend with local grapes, like Touriga Nacional, Castelão and Aragonez. The exception is Quinta da Bacalhôa, from the Setúbal Peninsula.
Its other names
VIVC, the international catalog of grape varieties, records 62 synonyms for it. Among them are Vidure, Petite Vidure, Vigne Dure (hard vine, in French), Bouchet and Petit Cabernet.
On Chilean or Argentine labels, sometimes it just says Cabernet. In Eastern Europe, it becomes Kaberne Sovinjon.
Varietal or blend?
A varietal is wine made from a single grape, or almost only one. A blend, or assemblage, is a mix of grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon shines in both.
In Bordeaux, it usually goes into the blend, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot: that's the famous Bordeaux blend, copied all over the world. It brings color, tannin and structure; Merlot brings softness.
In Brazil, both paths coexist. On the house list, half of the Brazilian wines with Cabernet Sauvignon are varietals, and Merlot is the most common partner in the blends.
To start with: Cabernet Sauvignon by price range
The price range the house saw at big stores in Brazil, in the month shown. The price changes; the range tends to stay.
- Miolo Seleção Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo Roséup to R$ 60checked Sep 2026
- Miolo Reserva Cabernet SauvignonR$ 60 to 100checked Sep 2026
- Salton TalentoR$ 100 to 150checked Sep 2026
- Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet SauvignonR$ 150 to 200checked Sep 2026
- Rutini Cabernet-MalbecR$ 200 to 300checked Sep 2026
Throwing a party? How many bottles to buy →
Top rated with Cabernet Sauvignon
Average rating from the people who drank it (X-Wines), from 1 to 5. Tap to see the wine's page.
- Catena Zapata Estiba Reservadarating ★ 4.8
- Almavivarating ★ 4.7
- Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignonrating ★ 4.7
- Viñedo Chadwick Redrating ★ 4.7
- Clos Apaltarating ★ 4.7
- Viña Vik Winery VIKrating ★ 4.6
- El Principal Andetelmorating ★ 4.6
- Viña Vik Winery La Piu Bellerating ★ 4.6
See all 397 labels with Cabernet Sauvignon in the search →