Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the noblest and most widespread red wine grape varieties in the world, a true “king” of red wines. It originates in the French region of Bordeaux, and today it is grown in almost every wine-producing country of the world.

The berries of Cabernet Sauvignon are small, with a thick skin that gives the wine a dense colour, a powerful structure, and a high content of tannins — it is they that provide the characteristic astringency and the ability of the wine to age for years and improve. Classic wines of this variety are full-bodied, rich, with aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry, as well as notes of cedar, tobacco, vanilla, and spices lent by ageing in oak barrels. Young wines can be quite firm, but over the years the tannins soften, and the bouquet becomes complex and many-faceted. Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other varieties, such as Merlot, which softens it — this is the classic of the Bordeaux style. Wines of this variety go wonderfully with red meat, steaks, game, and aged cheeses. It is a noble, “serious” variety from which some of the greatest and most expensive wines in the world are created.