Varietal Intelligence · Red
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cassis, cedar, graphite. The most-planted noble red on earth.
Origin
Bordeaux, France · 17th century
Cassis, cedar, graphite. The most-planted noble red on earth.
A natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon is the patient cathedral-builder of the wine world: thick-skinned, late-ripening, structurally devoted to oak and time. From the gravel terraces of the Médoc to the volcanic uplands of Napa, it produces wines of unmistakable architecture — a long, dark spine of tannin draped in cassis, tobacco leaf and graphite.
Flavor Profile
The grape, measured.
Six axes describe how the wine sits on the palate. Hover for sommelier notation.
Region Atlas
Where it thrives.
Hover any pin to read the regional dialect. Climate zones are read in tone.
Maritime · France
Médoc, Bordeaux
Gravel-sculpted, cedar-driven.
Sommelier Insights
At the table, in the glass.
Dry-aged ribeye · Hard mountain cheeses · Game in red wine reduction · Charcoal-grilled lamb
16–18 °C · in a wide Bordeaux bowl
Decant 60–90 min for wines ≥ 5 years; double-decant for first-growths.
Drinking window opens at 8–10 years. Top wines easily run 30–40.
Library vintages reward patience: 1986, 2000, 2010, 2016, 2019.
Look for cassis (blackcurrant), graphite, and a drying grip on the gums.
Sommelier-Level Note
"The Médoc's cool gravel coaxes restraint and graphite; Napa's volcanic warmth amplifies cassis and chocolate. Read the fruit-to-tannin ratio to find the climate."
— The Wine Passport · House Tasting Note
Related Discoveries
Bottles, journeys, kindred grapes.
Recommended bottles
Suggested journeys
- Left Bank, in five gravels5 pours · Bordeaux
- Napa: stones, sun, cellar6 pours · Napa Valley
Kindred grapes
Your Palate
The grape, against your record.
Tasting trend
Your palate's affinity for Cabernet Sauvignon, year on year.