Comparison
Super Tuscan vs Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
How Super Tuscan and Washington Cabernet Sauvignon differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
Super Tuscan 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: Super Tuscan has more herbal / green character; Washington Cabernet Sauvignon has more fruit intensity; Super Tuscan has more oak influence.
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
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Choose Washington Cabernet Sauvignon if you want something fruitier, fresher.
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.
Super Tuscan is more herbal and green: medium against low.
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.
Oak influence
Clear differencePerceptible impact of barrel or alternative oak contact — vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, cedar and added texture.
Super Tuscan is more oaky: medium-plus against medium.
Perceived freshness
Clear differenceThe overall impression of liveliness — a composite of acidity, alcohol balance, fruit character and the absence of tiredness. Distinct from raw acidity: a wine can be high in acid yet taste heavy.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is fresher: medium-plus against medium.
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.
- Body: Similar — both high.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Super Tuscan | Washington Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal / green character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (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 high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Body | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (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) |
| Spice | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Serve at | 16–18°C | 16–18°C |
| Typical flavours | blackcurrant, black cherry, cedar, mint, vanilla | 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
Super Tuscan
A commercial category rather than an appellation: ambitious Tuscan reds that fell outside the DOC rules, usually built on Bordeaux varieties.
Style
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
New World ripeness with Old World structure — a product of desert heat and extreme diurnal swing east of the Cascades.
Comparison
Super Tuscan vs Chianti Classico
What makes a Tuscan red "super", and is it better?