red grape · major international
Cabernet Sauvignon
Gironde, France
Say it
kab·er·naysoh·vee·nyohn
Both words end in a nasal vowel; the final consonant is not sounded — do not say a hard 'n' in either word.
On the palate
How you spot it blind: Cassis and graphite with dense, grippy, age-worthy tannins
The story
First written down · 18th century, Médoc, France
DNA fingerprinting by Bowers and Meredith (UC Davis, 1997) confirmed Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, resolving prior speculation about its origins.
Family tree: Cabernet Franc × Sauvignon Blanc
Where it lives
Bordeaux (Médoc), France · Napa Valley, California · Coonawarra / Margaret River, Australia · Maipo Valley, Chile · Stellenbosch, South Africa · Tuscany, Italy · Mendoza, Argentina
Shows up as
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Also answers to Cabernet.
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