Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is complex, structured, and age-worthy—a classic in the canon of wine. Each vineyard site and vintage is unique, but with Napa Cabernet you can expect rich, dark fruit, earth and herbal aromas, and earth-shattering structure. How you perceive these aromas will be affected by the temperature you store and serve your wine in.
The flavor profile of wine comes from aromatic compounds that develop in the grape during ripening and are released during fermentation and maturation. These aromas can develop and change in the bottle over time, and they’ll also become more pronounced in warmer temperatures as well as when they come in contact with oxygen. This is why swirling your wine in the glass or even decanting it makes it easier to smell your wine.
The temperature at which you store your bottle will also affect how your wine releases its aromas. Cold wines release fewer aromatic compounds, and this is why you can (generally) smell your wine a little bit easier when it’s warmed up.
The Ideal Serving Temperature for Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s important not to serve your Cabernet too, warm, however. Too hot of a temperature will cause your wine to release its aromatic compounds too quickly—before you get a chance to smell them. Instead, the wine will smell primarily of alcohol. So what’s the sweet spot?
Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Napa Valley makes wines that are bold, structured, and full-bodied. The recommended serving temperature for this style is 55°F to 65°F.
Where you land within this window is up to you! If you prefer your wines’ aromas to be a little more restrained, experiment with storing your wine at temperatures on the colder side. If you like your tannins to be lush and your aromas pronounced, lean towards 65°F.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Terroir
Throughout Napa Valley, unique environmental influences affect the structure and flavor profile of Cabernet grapes, and in turn, your serving temperature. The diverse soils, and a combination of sunny days, elevation, and cool breezes from San Pablo Bay create weighty wines with intense tannins and rich fruit, floral, and herbal aromas.
In other parts of the world, cooler climates or different soil types might create a lighter red style with the same grapes, so a cooler serving temperature might make sense.
How to find your desired temperature
The most important thing to take into account is your personal preference. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there’s no exception with your sense of taste and smell. Play around with the settings on your wine cooler, and get curious about what the winemaker recommends—this sometimes lies outside of 55°F to 65°F.
Try this: after pulling your Cabernet out of it’s cooler, pour a half glass for you and a friend and decant the rest. When you’re ready for more, pour another half glass and notice the difference in aroma, flavor, and texture. You might be surprised how little time (and temperature change) it takes to make a significant difference. Keep going and enjoy watching the subtleties that change.
This is the delight of wine—you are like the reader who brings their imagination to a great novel. Enjoy your role in the story.