Cabernet-sauvignon
King of red grape varieties, cabernet-sauvignon was born in the Médoc from a natural crossing of cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. Its thick skin, powerful tannins and freshness make it the great age-worthy grape, from Bordeaux to the Napa Valley.
The aromatic profile
Cabernet-sauvignon is recognisable by its scent of blackcurrant and black fruits, often lifted by a vegetal note of bell pepper or blackcurrant leaf when the grapes are less ripe. With oak ageing come cedar, graphite ("pencil lead"), tobacco and sweet spices. As it ages, it develops leather, forest floor and truffle.
Structure and terroir
It is a late-ripening variety, with thick skin rich in tannins and anthocyanins (colouring matter): hence deep, full-bodied wines built for ageing. It favours warm, well-drained soils — the gravel of the Médoc suits it beautifully — which help it ripen. Rarely vinified alone, it is readily blended with merlot, which brings flesh and roundness.
Its natural freshness and firm tannins give it an exceptional ageing potential: the great cabernets keep for decades, their tannins gradually softening into velvet.
At the table and around the world
Structured and tannic, it calls for red meats — rib steak, lamb, game — whose proteins soften its tannins. Beyond the Médoc and the Graves, it has conquered the globe: Napa Valley, Chile, Australia (Coonawarra) and Tuscany (in the "Super Tuscans") have made it a prestige international grape.
Key facts
Where to taste Cabernet-sauvignon?
This variety is part of the blend in these appellations:
Bouteilles de Cabernet-sauvignon en vente
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