Comparison
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon vs Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
How Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon are both made from Cabernet Sauvignon, so the difference is about place and winemaking rather than the grape. The main differences: Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon has more herbal / green character; Washington Cabernet Sauvignon has more spice; Washington Cabernet Sauvignon has more body.
The difference here is not botanical. It comes from where the vines grow, how the wine is made and what the name has come to signal commercially — which is exactly why the two taste different in practice.
Choose
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Choose Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon if you want something more herbal and green.
Choose
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Choose Washington Cabernet Sauvignon if you want something spicier, fuller and richer, fruitier.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Herbal / green character
Clear differenceHerbs, grass, blackcurrant leaf, capsicum and other green notes, largely driven by methoxypyrazines and picking decisions.
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon is more herbal and green: medium against low.
Spice
Clear differencePepper, clove, cinnamon and related spice notes, whether from the grape (as with rotundone in Syrah) or from oak.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is spicier: medium against low.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is fuller and richer: high against medium-plus.
Fruit intensity
Clear differenceHow loudly the fruit flavours speak, independent of whether they are ripe or tart.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is fruitier: high against medium-plus.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Acidity: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Tannin: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon | Washington Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal / green character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Body | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Tannin | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Serve at | 16–18°C | 16–18°C |
| Typical flavours | cassis, black cherry, bay leaf, graphite, cedar | blackcurrant, black cherry, cocoa, graphite, sage |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Structured, refined Cabernet from a strongly maritime corner of Western Australia — the New World region closest to Bordeaux in balance.
Style
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
New World ripeness with Old World structure — a product of desert heat and extreme diurnal swing east of the Cascades.