Cultivar · Grape cultivar
Cabernet Sauvignon
Vitis vinifera
Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine grape that arose in Bordeaux, France, and is now among the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. DNA analysis has shown it to be a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
Record
Cultivar / variety- Variety of
- Grape
- Botanical taxon
- Vitis vinifera
- Type
- Cultivar (clonal)
- Breeding method
- Natural cross (parentage documented by DNA analysis)
- Origin
- Bordeaux, south-west France, France
- Registry status
- Historical
- Registries
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) · Global · as of 2026-07-12Catalogued as a Vitis vinifera wine-grape variety with documented parentage. Record identifiers are not reproduced here to avoid asserting a value not independently verified.
- USDA GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System · United States / Global · as of 2026-07-12Germplasm accessions of the cultivar are maintained in the US National Plant Germplasm System.
- Adaptation
- A late-ripening variety generally suited to warm climates with a long growing season; it may struggle to ripen fully in cool sites or short seasons.
- Intended use
- Red wine (varietal and blended)
Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a black-skinned wine grape (Vitis vinifera) that originated in the Bordeaux region of south-west France. It is late-ripening, with small, thick-skinned berries, and has become one of the most planted and internationally recognised red wine varieties, grown across a wide range of warm and temperate wine regions.
The variety is an ancient clonal cultivar propagated vegetatively, so vineyards are established from cuttings or grafted vines rather than seed. Its parentage as a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc was established by DNA analysis at the University of California, Davis, in 1997, and it is now documented in variety catalogues such as the Vitis International Variety Catalogue.
Origin and parentage
Cabernet Sauvignon emerged in Bordeaux and is closely associated with the gravelly soils of the Medoc and Graves on the left bank of the Gironde. For much of its history its parentage was unknown, and it was assumed to be a very old variety of independent origin.
In 1997, DNA marker analysis at the University of California, Davis, showed that Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross between the red variety Cabernet Franc and the white variety Sauvignon Blanc, a finding that is now widely reported in the viticultural literature and variety catalogues.
Growing characteristics
The variety buds relatively late, which can help it avoid spring frosts, but it also ripens late and therefore needs sufficient accumulated warmth to reach full maturity. In cooler seasons or sites the wines can show more pronounced herbaceous character.
- Small berries with a high skin-to-pulp ratio, contributing colour and tannin
- Late budbreak and late ripening, favouring longer, warmer growing seasons
- Vigorous vines that are managed through canopy and rootstock choices
- Traditionally grown on well-drained, gravelly soils in its Bordeaux home
Wine style and use
Cabernet Sauvignon is used for dry red wine, both as a single-variety (varietal) wine and as a component of blends. In Bordeaux it is classically blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc; in many New World regions it is bottled as a varietal wine, often oak-matured.
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Adapted to climate
Related topics
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Originating in Bordeaux, France, and now grown in warm and temperate wine regions worldwide. Regional performance and wine style vary widely by site and clone.
Climate context: Late-ripening variety generally matched to warm climates with a long growing season.
- Wine style depends heavily on terroir, clone, rootstock, growing season, and winemaking; a description of the variety is not a description of any individual wine.
- Registry record identifiers and deep links are omitted where they could not be independently verified.
- The variety is a clonal cultivar with many registered clones that differ in vigour and fruit character; this page describes the variety in general terms.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
Cited for: Cultivar/germplasm records and taxonomy for Vitis vinifera
- Type:
- Official registry
- Jurisdiction:
- United States / Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility (opens in a new tab)High
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Cited for: Taxonomic placement of Vitis vinifera
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- Moderate
Cited for: Historical background and documented parentage (secondary reference)
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12