10 Best Cabernet Sauvignons Under $15 [2024 Bargain Buys]
You can spend thousands on Cabernet Sauvignon with prestigious terroir, viticulture, and aging potential, but equal satisfaction can come from discovering dirt-cheap wines that punch well above their weight.
Fifteen dollars might be seen as pocket change for wine, but it can still get you Cabernet Sauvignon from famous winemaking regions.
A good $15 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon should have great balance, lots of dark fruit, and well judged influence from the oak in the form of spice, vanilla, or chocolate.
In this guide I recommend my favorite budget Cabernet Sauvignon, with my wine list starting at just $7.
Can you afford to miss it?
10. 2020 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret
This wine caught me a little by surprise. It's made in the style of a Bordeaux red but uses Californian grapes (sourced across the state).
A classic Bordeaux blend is a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine that also contains Merlot and Cabernet Franc but also sometimes smaller amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère.
This Claret (an old English term for a Bordeaux red) is labelled as Cabernet Sauvignon so being a US wine this means it is made using at least 75% of these grapes.
We're not actually old the other grapes used but there's some lovely red fruit and bright acidity on show here that likely comes from Cabernet Franc.
It's a wine that I really enjoyed in my recent tasting (check out the video below) and one that's hard to beat for the money!
9. Kirkland Signature K-Vine Wahluke Slope Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
The K-Vine series of Costco exclusive wines are really cool because they are single vineyard wines made affordable.
Single vineyard wines from prestigious areas are usually prohibitively expensive but Charles Smith Wines (who make K-Vine wines) own some pretty big vineyards and are therefore able to do this at reasonable scale and make it more budget friendly.
But what's all the fuss about single vineyard wine anyway?
Well, terroir is the winemaking concept of a wine having a sense of place. Grapes are distinct to the area where they are grown and their flavor is affected by the soil, micro-climate, and landscape (among other many other factors).
Therefore, wines from a single vineyard are able to showcase the character defined by their origin. We call these terroir driven wines, and they're not usually found for just $14!
But, this wine isn't just all show. It's actually a terrifically well balanced and flavorful cab that's been one of my favorite budget wine finds of recent times.
8. Apothic Cab Cabernet Sauvignon
I reviewed this Cab fairly recently and I loved its unashamed simplicity, there's just nothing subtle about this wine whatsoever! It's bursting with jammy dark fruit and vanilla, almost like a black forest gateaux.
The jammy blackcurrant, blackberry, and cherry notes come from the Zinfandel, of which, plays a big part in the character of this wine. It's categorized as Cabernet Sauvignon but this isn't Cab as you know it. The Zinfandel mellows the tannins and presents a softer, smoother experience.
So, if you're looking for typical Cabernet Sauvignon then you best move on, but if you'd like an easy drinking Cab based blend that's rich, smooth, and very difficult to put down, then try this for just 9 or 10 bucks
7. Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
This is a big, bold Californian Cabernet Sauvignon that's available at Costco from time to time.
It's a little punchy and needs a long decant but you're rewarded with a great value wine that showcases the fruit notes of plum, cherry, and blackberry. The fruit is rounded off with some oak induced notes of baking spice and vanilla for a lovely warming finish.
It's a wine that would pair beautifully with some BBQ or a slightly charred steak.
6. Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
I had the pleasure of tasting and reviewing this Kirkland Cabernet Sauvignon recently and it really caught me by surprise!
Sub ten dollar red wine doesn't usually taste this good. 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 (but really happy too)!
There's strawberry, black cherry, and plum on the nose, with a little sweet smoke. Cherry and blackcurrant lead the palate, alongside lots of spice and a bit of strawberry on the finish.
The tannins are firm and grippy but perfectly integrated, and some lovely acidity brings it to life. It's sensational value for money it really is.
5. Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon
The latest trend of whiskey barrel aging food and drinks hasn't escaped winemaking. This bourbon barrel aged Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Mondavi is a cab unlike any I've tasted before.
It starts off with a strong oak and bourbon influence but given enough time to decant this subsides into some lovely notes of caramel and smoke.
It's not for the faint of heart and it's fairly punchy at 14.5% ABV with the added whiskey warmth.
It's an interesting expression of Cabernet Sauvignon that will appeal especially to bourbon drinkers. At just fourteen bucks I certainly recommend you try it!
Don't sleep on your local Target store for wine, where you'll find this and some other great buys for less than $15.
4. Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Now this is comfortably the cheapest wine on my list of recommendations. At just seven bucks it really doesn't get much cheaper!
I should clarify by saying that this is definitely not the best wine on this list, but it's definitely the best of the really, really cheap Cabs.
Comparing this to the other bargain basement Cabernet Sauvignon from YellowTail, Sutter Home, and Barefoot, this is clearly the superior wine.
It's jammy and a little sweet but it's got better structure and texture than those other seven or eight dollar wines.
It's very approachable and easy to drink making it a great entry into Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
You can read my full review or watch my video tasting it below.
3. 2020 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
I make no apology for the multitude of Kirkland Signature wines from Costco on this list!
It's simply the best place to get value for money when it comes to sub $25 wine. The Kirkland brand is also especially reliable when it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon from the US.
This is a very typical Nap Cab. It's big, bold, and very fruity.
It's not exactly a refined wine this, but it's got enough structure to support it's fruit forward nature.
The nose is dominated by juicy ripe fruit. There are notes of black cherry, plum, and blackberry with hint of vanilla tying it all together.
All that juicy fruit comes through on the palate with some licorice and spice. There's enough acidity to bring it all to life and medium tannins that feel fairly gentle for Cabernet Sauvignon.
It's a fruity, fun, and very enjoyable wine this!
Check out my full review or watch my video below for more details.
2. 2021 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 my $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.
I 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.
1. 2018 J. Lohr 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.
I love 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.
What do you think about my list of budget cab? Do you have something to add?
Let me know what your favorite cheap bottle is down below!