“I Like Cabernet Sauvignon. What Should I Get?”
Three different options if you love Napa Cab.
One of the most common questions I get from a customer, a friend, a family member, is something along these lines: I like [insert wine here], can you recommend me something similar? The question is (usually) coming from a place of people wanting to expand their palettes, but without steering too much away from what they know and love. They want what they like, but they also want options. Thankfully, in the world of wine, it can be easy to help someone find similar types.
Typically when people ask for recommendations for a Cabernet Sauvignon, they are looking for something similar to what they’ll find in Napa Valley. Cabernet is king in that region, known for producing some of the most robust, powerful, and flavorful single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignons in the world. These wines typically sit in oak barrels, which enhances the leathery, black fruit flavor with notes of vanilla, chocolate, and warm kitchen spices. If people are asking for something like a Napa Cab, they typically want something with the same taste profile.
Thankfully, many regions across the world have been trying to recreate that similar style. One of the major reasons this style of wine became famous is because of a well known wine critic, Robert Parker, who favored this fuller style of wine in his reviews. Because of this, many regions tried replicating it, making wines that are fuller bodied, higher in alcohol, and enhanced with sweet oak flavors.
If this is a style of wine that you prefer, but you’re looking to expand your wine knowledge beyond your go-to Napa Cabernet, then here are three other options I recommend next time you’re at the shop.
Bordeaux, France (Left Bank)
Look for: Médoc, Hait-Médoc, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Pauillac
If you love Cabernet Sauvignon so much, then you may as well get it from its region of origin. Cabernet Sauvignon is popularly known as a “Bordeaux” grape. The grape is believed to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, and popped up in the Médoc sometime during the 17th century. Many plots growing this grape are found on the “left bank” of Bordeaux; the banks are separated by the Garonne River and have unique soil differences, which is why certain grapes do better in certain areas. Cabernet Sauvignon does well on the left bank because of its gravelly soils, which drains well and retains heat. While Bordeaux wines are typically blends, the varieties coming from the left bank are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant—with maybe a little bit of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and a few other grapes mixed in like Malbec and Petit Verdot.
You’ll likely find your value left-bank Bordeaux’s labeled as Médoc and Haut-Médoc, and if you want to get more specific and try wines coming from particular famous plots of the region, try something from one of the appellations listed above. Margaux is a personal favorite of mine—known for being more elegant and feminine compared to other wines of the area.
Bolgheri, Tuscany
Look for: Bolgheri, Toscana IGT
This is an appellation I only discovered a few months ago, and I’m so glad I did, because I think it’s my favorite expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines tend to be brighter, with higher acidity and lots of fruit concentration, and are a little less leathery and earthy compared to what you see in Bordeaux. (And lighter on the palette compared to Napa.)
While Tuscany is well known for Sangiovese (Chianti is made with this grape), there is also a smaller, highly-coveted part of the region that is producing wine with Bordeaux grapes. These are known as the “Super Tuscans,” aptly named by Robert Parker himself. Winemakers wanted to push past the Chianti regulations and make wine with other varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon included. An appellation was created in response: Bolgheri. It is here that you’ll find some of the most famous red wines of Italy, like Sassicaia and Tignanello. Again, these wines will be blends, but Cabernet Sauvignon is a dominant grape.
Some of the wines from the region are labeled under Toscana IGT, which means the producer didn’t want to restrict themselves to the guidelines of the Bolgheri appellation. Again, these wines can have a variety of grapes in them (Sangiovese, Trebbiano Toscano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano) but will also include some of those famous Bordeaux grapes as well.
Central Valley, Chile
Look for: Maipo, Cachapoal, and Colchagua Valleys
In the same way that Cabernet Sauvignon is popular in Napa, it is also popular coming from a number of regions in Chile. Chile’s climate is ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon; a warmer climate with dry summers and mild winters, rocky and volcanic soils that retain heat and provide a unique flavor profile to the grape, and high altitudes with warmer days and cooler nights to preserve the grape’s acidity.
Similar to California, in Chile the rule is that 75% of the wine must be made with the grape that’s on the label. So if it’s Cabernet Sauvignon, that means at least 75% of what’s in the bottle is that grape. Sometimes it is a true single varietal, but other times Chilean winemakers will typically mix it with Carménère, a lesser known Bordeaux grapes that provides softer tannins and red fruit aromas. Both French and American oak are used to age the wine—it depends on what the winemaker is looking for in their finished product. So if “robust” is a description you are looking for with your Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile is likely an excellent option. Some of the most popular valleys for growing this grape are listed above.
Should I do a breakdown of another grape? Share what you love to drink below, and maybe I’ll make this a series!
Wine of the week
Speaking of California, Pali Wine Co. in Sta. Rita Hills embarked on a new venture recently and released their first vintage of Dornfelder, a dark-skinned grape found in Germany. The winery has planted one acre of the grape, and they asked me to try their 2023 vintage, so I had to share my thoughts.
Tasting notes:
Appearance: Purple, opaque intensity, stains the glass
Nose: Black fruits, black pepper, no evidence of new oak, earthy, fudge-like
Palate: Medium acidity, medium-to-full bodied, silky tannins, moderate alcohol, no evidence of new oak.
My conclusion: Soft black fruits with a subtle fudge chocolate finish, this wine is dark and easy to drink slightly chilled. A unique-style of wine coming from California.
