Cellar Reflections: Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a cautionary tale about an amazing grape, popularized by Napa going with gigantic flavors, and how it can be grown in Virginia but not everywhere.  It requires the right site, excellent farming practices, and a whole lotta lucky weather to pull off good Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon.  And when you do, it’s exceptional.

What Is Cellar Reflections?

Cellar Reflections is a series exploring how Virginia wine grapes show up over time—in my cellar, in blends, and in real life. These posts aren’t tasting notes or winery profiles. They’re reflections on what I choose to drink now, what I choose to age, and why certain grapes keep earning space on my shelves. Past editions: Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Albariño.

A Little Background on Cabernet Sauvignon in General

Wine Folly tells us (the content requires membership, but it’s free, so you can handle that, I am sure), that this is the world’s most popular Red Wine Grape.  Duh.  Decades of fantastic marketing (and some damn good wine too) have led us here.  It’s big, full-bodied, typically incredible silky tannins, and is often higher in alcohol.  We love this.

Big Napa Cabs that I have adored in my early days of wine drinking:

Silver Oak – hubby still buys me one for my birthday or for Christmas with some regularity.  It’s a great wine for a holiday gathering and always impresses guests.  We visited them at their Oakville tasting room in Napa back in 2006 and loved it so much we bought glasses and bottles to take home.

Cakebread – Oh my goodness, so many Cabernets. We loved Benchland Select especially I recall.  We joined their club and had Cabernet shipped to us for a few years.  

Elyse – I remember we were finishing a long day of wine tasting and stopped here at this small, unassuming tasting room on a lark. I also recall that the Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel and Cabernet blew me away and we purchased a ton to bring home.  Back then, we were able to bring cases of wine of the plane – how I don’t know but a lot came home with us.

So turning to Cabernet Sauvignon in Virginia….. According to SevenFiftyDaily, Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for about five percent of grape plantings in the state and shows up “with more elegance and restraint than typical California iterations.”

I find this is a tough wine to make in most years in Virginia.  Jason Murray at Arterra says: “Some grapevines during ripening will continue to uptake as much water as is available to them – examples being Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.“  Because it just keeps soaking up water from the ground and pushing it to the fruit, and Virginia tends to harvest while hurricane remnants pass overhead, it is a grape that isn’t ideal for our climate. Jason grows a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon that goes into Rosé generally.  Jim Law notes in a 2018 (before the rains came) blog post: 

“Cabernet Sauvignon is very picky about where it grows. It grows too vigorously when it has access to water and nutrients. This is the problem. Virginia’s first attempts to grow Cabernet Sauvignon resulted in weedy, thin, green wines. Even in the warmest climates, Cabernet Sauvignon would only ripen well a couple of vintages a decade. In the past 15 years, however, there has been a renewed focus on soils that are appropriate to Cabernet Sauvignon and this has made a huge difference. If there is enough hydric stress during the summer, those grapes can ripen well even in the coolest parts of the state. Serious producers plant Cabernet Sauvignon on the warmest, least water retentive, and steepest slopes.”

This means Cabernet Sauvignon may be one of the most site-sensitive grapes we grow – the land on which it is planted really matters in terms of wine quality and the ability to consistently produce good grapes.

What I’ve noticed is that in our hot dry vintages, especially the recent 2022, 2023, and we are beginning to see 2024 vintages coming out, Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon can be incredible.  But for most sites, it’s incredibly hard to grow Cabernet Sauvignon that is exceptional.  This post will touch on some of the ones I am truly loving these days.

Virginia Producers Making Incredible Cabernet Sauvignon Today

Glen Manor Vineyards – I was so enthralled with the 2022 vintage of their Cabernet Sauvignon that I ordered a case of the 2023 vintage without having tasted it.  I was simply blown away by this wine. They sold it young, releasing it in May 2025 – but it had serious soul on it.  Fruit forward and delicious, this is what bright, low-intervention Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like in Virginia.  I cannot see a year when the new release of this wine will not be in my end of year top ten and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the 2024 vintage.  Any day now…..

Hark – They’re currently serving the 2022 vintage of the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it’s stunning.  I loved this wine from my first sip and turned a friend onto it so much that he bought a case for his wedding. We are all excited about the 2023 vintage coming out….. December maybe?  Speaking of 2023, their 2023 vintage Rosé was also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and it was exceptional – one of my favorite Roses in recent memory.  2024 is also 100% and they moved to Cabernet Franc in 2025 to have more Cabernet Sauvignon for the red wine. I consider this winning.

Pollak – I thought the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon was so stunning I’ve been buying it in ones and twos and honestly, a case would have just made more sense.  This leans a bit more on oak but the little extra age goes far on it.  The 2023 is out and I enjoyed a sip of that, and will be adding it to my collection too.  But this one has my heart still….

Keswick – There are fables of the Cabernet Sauvignons from years back (and some big Virginia Wine collectors likely have some of their big award winners).  At a barrel tasting this past Spring, Stephen led us through the 2024 and 2025 vintages, which were made with very different emphases – 2024 was in all (or nearly all) neutral oak and had bright and fresh fruit popping out (yes I did buy two bottles through their futures!). Vintage 2025 had recently gone into new oak and had really intense flavor from that – as that moves to neutral oak and mellows, it will be interesting to see what that turns into.  I was hoping to score my futures to bring home and get in this picture, but they’re all at the warehouse for now.  Alas.

Afton Mountain Vineyards – I tried the 2023 vintage here a few weeks ago and I was stunned.  Of course the 2023 vintage is exceptional, and this wine was fruit forward, fun, and enticing.  It demonstrated real staying power and I have one leftover (which didn’t make it into the cover pic darnit).  But it’s a great one, and worth grabbing while it’s still available!

Barboursville – While there over the past weekend, I grabbed a bottle of the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which I coravin’ed just now for a sip.  Knowing that I would be writing this article, I wanted another take on this grape. This Cabernet Sauvignon is more akin to California ones, I think.  I taste more oak influence and an emphasis on depth and darker fruit.  This will open up and be amazing, and with age it will be more refined and graceful. Of course sipping almost an hour later, the fruit is in front now.

Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon in Blends

Mount Alto Vineyards may be one of the best examples of what Jim Law (who helped them determine what to plant on their site) is talking about in the quote above.  Excellent drainage, some protection from the elements due to geography, and the perfect formula for great Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon consistently – even in 2018!  Their 2018-2021 blends are heavy on Cabernet Sauvignon, and it has an unbelievably silky quality to it.  Those grapes love that site, and are bringing forth incredible blends.

Linden – As a primary component in Hardscrabble Red Blend, Jim Law has worked with this grape for forty years.  I haven’t seen Linden release it as a standalone, though in 2023 they could have, based on that barrel sample. Jim has talked about tearing rows out and replanting at a different angle to maximize the site, and given his wisdom of practice, we can trust the wines he is putting out.  This is some good stuff.

When do I Want Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon?

I mean, as a Rosé, I can sip Cabernet Sauvignon on the first bright, sunny spring day, all summer long, and into the fall.  I’ll pull one out (if any remain in my collection) on a shockingly warm December day too.

But mostly, Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that demands food, especially beef.  Rare red meat goes oh so well with richer Cabernet Sauvignon.  Fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignons are great any time of year, and are nice for binge-watching, reading, or sitting on the porch with the fan going and thinking about things.  This is definitely a wine that makes you think, and forces you to slow down.

A Few Final Words About Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s hard to grow here, and as such, great Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon is rare here, and is something to be savored.  The ones I adore tend to be more fruit forward and more “drink now” wines, and less soaked with oak.  Older Virginia Cabernets, such as Pollak’s 2009 from their library tasting/Somm Seminar a few weeks ago, can knock your socks off, as they continue to hold amazing fruit even 17 years later.

Maybe it’s one of those things that is special because it’s so rare, because it’s hard to grow here, and when it’s done well, it’s exceptional! 

What Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon are you loving and do you want others to try?