15 Best Cabernet Sauvignons Under $15 [2023 Bargain Buys]
You can spend thousands on Cabernet Sauvignon with prestigious terroir, viticulture, and aging potential, but equal satisfaction in the wine world comes from dirt-cheap Cabernets that mix it with the big boys.
$15 might be seen as pocket change for wine, but it can still get you Cabernet Sauvignon from famous winemaking regions like Chile's Maipo Valley and Argentina's Luján de Cuyo. You can also expect lots of wine from the US, especially California.
A $15 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon should have rich tannins, lots of dark fruit, and oak/cedar notes. Extended aging can develop spicy vanilla notes, which are also typical of cool-season fruit and Argentinian Cabernets.
In this guide you can find the best Cabernet Sauvignon under $15, with bottles starting from just $8.99. Can you afford to miss it?
15. 1924 Wines Double Black Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon (Limited Edition) 2020
This Cabernet is aged in bourbon barrels to introduce intense aromas and flavors of caramel, maple, and vanilla. Notes of smoke and oak carry through dense blackberry and forest floor flavors, creating a delicious, jammy wine.
Bold and complex is the best way to describe the nose, which opens with fresh blackberry, bourbon, vanilla, allspice, and charred oak. The palate adds swathes of dark fruit, leather, and cocoa nib flavors, with plush tannins providing a long finish.
Oak and bourbon notes define 1924 Wines' Cabernet Sauvignon. It's the perfect pairing for herb-crusted lamb chops, venison stew, and ribeye steak.
It's a punchy red, especially with those whisky notes. It's highly regarded for the price and really hard to beat on value for money. Highly recommended!
14. Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Kirkland is Costco's exclusive winemaker, repeatedly churning out top-tier wines at low prices. Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception, with intense blackcurrant, spice, and vanilla notes.
This wine is made with hand-picked fruit and spends 16 months in oak barrels. It's a classic Cabernet, with a nose and palate filled with black fruit, forest floor, oak, and hints of vanilla with an earthy undertone.
We love this wine's approachable, fruit-forward profile and dusty tannins. Try it with braised short ribs and lamb shanks.
This is a wine that really punches above it's weight when it comes to value. Find me a better cab for under $10 and I'll be shocked (and really happy)!
Discover more gems like this in our guide to Costco Cabernet Sauvignon.
13. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon
Aged in oak for 10 months with a portion in new American oak bourbon barrels for 3 months, this chewy, rich Cabernet is the perfect table wine with red meat. Private Selection makes this a limited release, so grab it while you can.
The nose bursts with oak, vanilla, caramel, and black cherry aromas, with subtle tannins carrying intense black cherry, blackberry, and smoke notes. An undertone of allspice, vanilla, and leather carry through to a long finish.
Despite its rich colors and flavors, this Cabernet is a refreshing tipple. It's perfect alongside meatballs and spaghetti, ragu, and pizza.
Don't sleep on your local Target store for wine, where you'll find this and some other great buys for less than $15.
12. Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Produced by Robert Mondavi in Lodi County, Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon is a vibrant wine with redcurrant, plum, black cherry, and allspice notes. It's a cheap, cheerful wine perfect for parties and sharing with friends.
Medium-bodied with dusty tannins, this Cabernet Sauvignon is highly approachable. The nose bursts with dark cherry, blackberry, toast, and a touch of black pepper, with the palate adding touches of red fruit, oak, and plum.
It lacks the smoky sophistication of a bourbon-aged varietal, but Woodbridge Cabernet is an excellent choice for fruity wine lovers. Pair it with veal, venison, and roast beef.
11. 2018 Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2018 Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon is our first Chilean entry and a classic choice if you adore grippy, peppery wines. It's aged in oak for 8 months to develop the peppery notes, and bottle aged for an additional 4 months.
The grapes in Colchagua Valley are allowed to ripen slowly and develop complex flavors, giving this wine lots of depth. The nose has focused red fruit, plum, and mocha, with black pepper, cinnamon, cedar, and raspberry flavors on the palate.
Robust tannins and a full-medium body make this wine a pleasure to sip, or you can enjoy it with aged cheeses, grilled lamb, and roast pork.
10. Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
The Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is a young Cabernet made with grapes from the Sonoma and Lake counties. It's big on black fruit, raspberry, and cherry notes, with a simple but refreshing fruit-forward profile perfect for the dinner table.
It's right at the top end of our $15 budget. If you're able to spend a bit more you'll probably find our guides to cab under $20 and under $30 interesting too!
Expect black cherry, raspberry jam, plum, and a touch of oak on the nose. The palate introduces vanilla and crushed violets with hints of leather, with a medium-full body with grippy tannins.
We love this wine with hamburgers, meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, mushroom risotto, oxtail, and lamb stews.
It's generally accepted as being a great value, reliable cab. You can't go wrong with this for a dinner party or an evening with friends.
9. 2018 Haras de Pirque Hussonet Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2018 Haras de Pirque Hussonet Gran Reserva is aged for at least 12 months in French oak barrels, followed by another 12 months in the bottle.
Extended aging gives this Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon a rich nose and palate. Mint, chocolate, allspice, and laurel aromas are distinctive of the Maipo Valley. The palate has highly concentrated blackcurrant jam, licorice, and vanilla notes.
With a smooth mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a long, persistent finish, look no further for a delicious sipping wine you can enjoy with prime rib.
8. 2020 Fabre Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
This well-structured Cabernet is made with highly acidic fruit from the Lujan de Cuyo appellation. Extended maceration gives it an intense red color, while 12 months in French oak barrels helps develop smoky, oaky notes.
The bouquet offers mouth-watering blackcurrant jam, mint, allspice, and vanilla notes, while the palate pops with minty black plum, peppercorn, and blueberry. A hint of raspberry and allspice on the finish gives it a morish quality.
Full-bodied with intense, chewy tannins, the 2020 Fabre Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon pairs beautifully with fatty meats like beef and lamb cutlets.
7. 2020 Matchbook Red Gravel Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2020 Matchbook Red Gravel Cabernet Sauvignon is made with grapes grown on the red gravel soils in the winery's Dunnigan Hills, scratching our itch for a potent sipping wine that develops out of the glass.
The wine pours a garnet color with aromas of violets, spiced plum, tobacco, and cocoa nibs. Plush blackberry, anise, and mocha flavors give the palate a wonderfully dense character, backed by relatively subtle tannins and a smooth mouthfeel.
Matchbook Cabernet Sauvignon has a round, long finish with fine cocoa and smoke notes. It's perfect with aged cheeses and antipasti.
Related: Which Cabernet Sauvignon would we recommend if the budget was limitless?
6. 2019 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 saw the start of a slow-growing season in Columbia Valley, yielding late-ripening grapes with potent acidity. The 2019 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon is made with select grapes from the harvest, aged for 11 months in French oak.
Blackcurrants, white flowers, earth, and walnuts on the nose reflect on the palate, introducing tobacco, crushed violets, red cherry, and juicy blueberry. Fine tannins and a crisp finish make this wine perfect with light snacks.
The highlight of this Cabernet is its extraordinary length and juicy finish. It pairs perfectly with red meat seasoned with garlic, rosemary, mint, or porcini.
5. 2019 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2019 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon blends 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 6% Merlot, 6% Zinfandel, and 2% Malbec, crafted in small lots, fermented separately, and blended to achieve full expression and character.
This wine offers incredible value, with most wine lots aged for at least 20 months in French oak. The nose has intense dark fruit, allspice, sage, and black pepper notes, with the palate adding a touch of licorice, black cherry, and vanilla.
Pair it with baby back ribs, beef stew, oxtail, pork chops, and lamb cutlets. It also works well with blue cheese and savory snacks.
4. 2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon
This dark, brooding Cabernet blends 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Syrah, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Grenache, and 1% Cabernet Franc from premium lots, with herby, smoky notes from extended aging.
Fourteen months in oak gives this wine a rich, concentrated character. The nose offers up blackcurrant, stewed plum, dried sage, and a kiss of spice. Take a sip, and the palate rewards you with black licorice, red fruit, and a touch of vanilla.
Firm tannins and acidity give this wine a grippy texture in harmony with a long finish. Pair it with ragu, pork tenderloin, and braised short ribs.
This winery also makes a great value Riesling that you can grab at your local Kroger store.
You can find this Cab for less than $15 at wine.com
3. 2018 J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon is perfectly balanced with ripe fruit aromas and flavors, supple tannins, and oak and pepper on the finish. It blends 88.5% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Petit Verdot, 1.5% Merlot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc.
Pour a glass, and you get a delicious bouquet of blackcurrant, elderberry, lilac, and pepper aromas. The mouthfeel is smooth and relatively dense, with supple tannins carrying black cherry, leather, oak, and peppercorn flavors.
We adore this wine's freshness and approachability. It pairs well with mushroom risotto, lamb shanks, veal chops, and roast pork.
This is another great red wine you can usually find at Costco.
2. 2020 Vinos de Arganza Palacio de Arganza Cabernet Sauvignon
If it's balsamic acidity and spice you crave, look no further than the 2020 Vinos de Arganza Palacio de Arganza. This Spanish Cabernet Sauvignon is made with hand-harvested grapes, offering intense licorice, blackberry, and olive notes.
Intense ruby in color, the nose has blueberry, blackberry, anise, and cedar aromas, with the palate piling on spiced plum, charred oak, olive, sage, and earth. Sharp tannins and a chewy texture make it a delightful sipping wine.
The Castile and León region produces jammy, spicy wines, with this variety offering robust flavors. Pair it with Spanish tapas, spicy sausage, mushroom risotto, garlic dishes, lamb chops, and roast beef.
1. 2019 Viu Manent Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
Our guide to recommended Cab for less than $15 ends with a sublime Chilean Cabernet made with fruit from the Mediterranean climate of Colchagua Valley.
This 2019 Viu Manent Gran Reserva blends Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc for a smooth wine with deep red fruit flavors.
This varietal is highly approachable with a medium body, chewy tannins, and balanced flavors. Sweet herbs, tobacco, red cherry, blackberry, and licorice on the nose lead to layers of anise, raspberry, cassis, and oak on the palate.
A touch of ripe fig and brown sugar on the finish give this wine a jammy personality. Enjoy it with prime rib, pork belly, lamb cutlets, and roasted vegetables.
