15 Best Cabernet Sauvignon Under $30 [Outstanding Cab!]
Cabernet Sauvignon offers incredible bang for your buck if you know where to look.
From beautifully aged expressions from the Old World to exciting wines from New World havens like Santa Barbara County.
You can expect complexity and depth from Cabernet Sauvignon under $30, with the chewy tannins, high acidity, and full-bodied texture you love.
Fancy something special? In this guide we reveal the 15 finest Cabernet Sauvignons for less than thirty bucks.
15. 2019 Experience Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 Experience Cabernet Sauvignon is a distinctively Californian Cabernet with a fruit-forward palate and robust tannins. It gets the extra tannins from barrel-fermenting and barrel-aging in new French Oak for 17 months.
This wine pours ruby red into the glass with a delicious fruity bouquet of cassis, anise, and mocha. Black fruit unfolds on the palate with plum and blackcurrant flavors. Notes of Oak, vanilla, and pepper add depth to the finish.
Full-bodied and moderately acidic, we rate this wine approachable for beginners with enough depth to satisfy Cab fans. It's excellent value at $28, pairing perfectly with sirloin, lamb, and portobello mushrooms.
14. 2019 Marietta Cellars Arme Cabernet Sauvignon
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot, 2019 Marietta Cellars Arme Cabernet Sauvignon brings mint, herbs, and lavender to your palate, with swathes of black fruit jam and leather.
This wine is aged for 20 months in neutral oak barrels and uses late-harvest grapes with intense acidity. It pours ruby-purple with blackberry, oak, chocolate, and leather aromas, with earth, herbs, plum, and blueberry flavors developing in the glass.
Produced in the Bordeaux style with traditional winemaking techniques, this Cabernet has the hallmarks of a top tipple. It's a beautiful pairing for prime rib, filet mignon, tuna, and herby foods with garlic and rosemary.
13. 2019 Vina Robles Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
We adore the 2019 Vina Robles Estate Cabernet Sauvignon's structure. It blends 86% Cabernet with 15% Petit Verdot, seeing 20 months in French and American Oak. Expect oak, vanilla, dark fruit, and a hint of cherry.
Petit Verdot is a beautiful pairing with Cabernet because it brings red fruit notes, sweetening the palate without sugar. As such, this Cabernet is incredibly juicy, with bright red and black fruit notes underpinned with oak.
Plum, red licorice, cassis, nutmeg, and tobacco notes give this wine an exciting profile with lots of complexity. The long finish has round tannins – nothing too sharp – making it a great choice with pink lamb, pork, and venison.
12. 2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged for 22 months in new French and American oak, this 100% Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with black cherry, stewed plum, and chocolate flavors. It's intensely fruity with a medium to full body and chewy tannins.
Columbia Valley's arid, mild climate produces excellent structure in this wine, with ripe black fruit aromas and oak, vanilla, and tobacco from the oak aging. Hints of smoke and earth on the mid-palate give it incredible complexity.
We love the balanced acidity and fruitiness. Perfect food pairings include roast beef, venison, duck, squab, and game birds. The fruitiness also pairs well with cheddar cheeses and aged Gruyère with cream crackers.
11. 2017 Double Canyon Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2017 Double Canyon scratches our itch for a jammy, acidic Cabernet with notes of baking vanilla. It has a stewed quality, with rounded, creamy tannins and surprising red cherry and raspberry notes underpinning a black fruit palate.
Swatches of black cherry, blueberry, and cassis dominate the nose, with red fruit, vanilla, and a hint of allspice on the palate. Rich yet juicy, this Cabernet is perfectly rounded with a welcome pepper splash on the finish.
This wine pairs beautifully with braised short ribs, lamb chops, lamb shanks, vegetable casseroles, roasted vegetables, and rosemary and thyme seasonings. It also works well with Pecorino-style sheep's cheese and goat's cheese.
At just $20, it's one of the cheaper Cabs on our list. Don't miss our guide to Cabs under 20 bucks for more like this!
10. 2018 Château Les Vimières Haut-Médoc
Our first entry from France is a cracker! The 2018 Château Les Vimieres Haut-Médoc is a Bordeaux blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, aged for 18 months in oak with 33% new oak to develop robust tannins.
The wine pours ruby-purple with a delicious cherry and leather nose with a generous helping of oak and vanilla. Dry and full-bodied with solid tannins, the palate carries black fruit, earth, and cherry to a long, decadent finish.
Perfect food pairings include oxtail, venison, ostrich, game birds, duck, and lamb, and it also pairs well with mushrooms and roasted vegetables. However, the complexity and depth of this wine make it best as a sipping wine.
9. 2018 Montes Alpha Series Cabernet Sauvignon
The Rapel Valley is famous for producing earthy Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2018 Montes Alpha Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a prime example, with a smooth mouthfeel, toast and pastry notes, and an abundance of cassis.
This wine blends 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Merlot, aged for 12 months in new French Oak for a complex, grippy structure. Aromas of oak, blackberry, blackcurrant, earth, and smoke complement black cherry and vanilla flavors.
Full-bodied, dry, and sharply tannic, Montes Alpha Series is a beautifully rich varietal. It pairs wonderfully with prime rib, porcini dishes, and roasted duck. The tannins cut through the fat and bring out the best in meaty, dark flavors.
8. 2020 Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2020 Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon is another entry from the Rapel Valley. It piles on the vanilla, oak, and spice with less fruitiness than the 2018 Montes Alpha Series. It's best for those nights when only a rich, brooding wine will do.
This wine is a unique blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, with attractive honey and pastry notes. The nose and palate are heavy on tobacco, vanilla, and blackcurrant, with hints of chili.
Rich, dark, and chewy, we can't think of a finer wine to share with friends. Try it with stuffed mushrooms, spinach and artichoke, meatballs, and lamb skewers. The spicy undertones also complement jams and savory-sweet pastries.
Related: Ready to level up your wine cellar? Don't miss our guide to the world's best Cabernet Sauvignon in 2023!
7. Clay Shannon Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Crafted with grapes from the opposing appellations of High Valley and Red Hills, Clay Shannon Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 brings intense fruitiness to the table with lashings of spice and black fruit baked into a chewy, dense texture.
Brighter than your average Cabernet, this wine is aged for 20 months (56% new oak) and evokes a real sense of richness. Black plum, cherry, and mocha on the nose lead to vanilla, blackberry, and tobacco flavors with an acidic kick.
The velvety but dense mouthfeel is delectable, pairing beautifully with new-season lamb, roasted pork, and roasted beef. It's oak-forward with firm tannins, almost chalky in quality, with a tangy finish that lasts and lasts.
6. 2018 Eklektós Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2018 Eklektós Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for an impressive 24 months for dark, brooding flavors, chewy tannins, and a dense texture. It coats the palate in black fruit and jam with complex spice and licorice notes.
This delicious Cabernet has a broad, complex nose with blackberry preserves, black pepper, and black licorice notes. The palate adds vanilla and balsamic herbs, with hints of red cherry, lashings of plum, and an oaky, chocolatey finish.
Most tomato-based red sauces in pizza and pasta pair beautifully with this Cabernet, especially those heavy with onion and garlic, and it also goes well with veal, lamb, pork, and game birds. Serve it with antipasti for a beautiful starter.
It's really lovely wine that's amazing value if you can find it at $26!
5. 2020 Treana Cabernet Sauvignon
An intriguing blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Syrah, 2% Petite Sirah and 1% Petit Verdot, this Cabernet is aged for 14 months in 25% once-used French oak and 75% neutral French and American oak.
The result is a complex Cabernet with excellent structure. The nose bursts with vanilla, cedar, and blackberry, while plum, leather, and oak on the palate give it richness. The mid-palate adds doses of chocolate, baking spice, and blueberry.
This wine's lengthy finish, supple tannins, and balanced fruit flavors make it a perfect sipping wine and pairing for stews, casseroles, and roasted meats. We adore the chewy blackberry palate, rich oak finish, and smooth mouthfeel.
4. 2019 Justin Wine Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark berry fruits and swathes of oak give this Cabernet a classical palate. Barrel aged for 14 months in American Oak has a smooth mouthfeel and robust tannins with hints of spice and anise developing on the mid-palate.
Spin the top, pour a glass, and the crimson-purple hue invites you to take a sip. The nose bursts with plum, black raspberry, and black pepper, with vanilla, oak, chocolate, and blackberry flavors. Look no further for a decadent wine you can enjoy anytime.
We love Justin Wine Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon with cheeses, charcuterie, antipasti, portobello mushrooms, and fresh and roasted vegetables. The smooth texture makes it a good match for roast beef and lean meats.
It's available from most reputable online wine stores and also at most Safeway supermarkets.
3. 2020 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dirt cheap and deceptively delicious. It tastes like a $30 wine, with dark ripe fruit, vanilla, and leather notes. Hints of spice and a touch of oak give it character.
Despite its low price, this wine is aged for 16 months in new oak barrels. It treats you to a blackberry, plum, cola, and oak bouquet. The palate offers a sweet edge with vanilla, sweet blackberry, and allspice.
This makes an excellent table wine alongside pot roast, steak and potatoes, beef stew, and casseroles. Butterflied lamb and turkey breast also work well and try it with blue cheese to balance the funkiness with something fruity.
It's a Costco signature wine that's been available at every Costco store I've been to. If you want to see more recommendations like this then don't miss our guide to cab for less then 15 bucks.
2. 2018 Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
Produced by one of Sonoma County's most famous winemakers, Louis M. Martini, this Cabernet has an excellent pedigree. It backs it up with juicy fruits on the palate, cedar notes, and sweet vanilla on the finish.
The intriguing, woody notes come from the 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Sirah blend, with the Sirah giving the wine grippy tannins. Generous cassis, blueberry, and black cherry flavors compliment the oak and vanilla notes.
Expect hints of strawberry jam, chocolate, and tobacco on the finish. It pairs beautifully with braised short ribs, sausages, and meatballs.
This delicious Cab is available online and also at your nearest Kroger store.
1. Field Recordings Neverland Cabernet Sauvignon
We end our list with a wine fit for the finest dinner tables. Neverland Cabernet blends 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Carignan, and 5% Cabernet Franc from Santa Barbara, creating one of the plushest Cabernets for under $30.
This wine pours dark red with a tint of purple. The nose has complex mint, blackcurrant, smoked cedar, and allspice notes. Take a sip and your palate melts with blackberry, violets, kirsch, crème de cassis, and cola.
A twang of red licorice and tobacco gives the finish an extraordinary complexity – perfect for savoring in front of a fire. It pairs beautifully with smoked ham, grilled chicken, duck breast, beef stew, and hearty vegetable dishes with garlic.
