The Best Budget Boxed Cabernet Sauvignon Surpasses Expectations

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Wine has long been associated with sophistication and elegance, best enjoyed at an atmospheric restaurant and perfectly paired with rich pastas or tender steak. While a good bottle of wine typically lives up to expectations, its more casual cousin — boxed wine — doesn't share the same reputation for high-quality vino. It's usually brought for its convenience, affordability, and the fact it stays fresh much longer after being opened. Yet, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to score high-quality boxed wine that rivals bottled varieties in taste and quality. To put this to the test, Food Republic's taste tester ranked eight budget boxed cabernet sauvignon to determine which one stood above the rest. The verdict? Summit cabernet sauvignon comes out on top.

At Total Wine, a three liter box of this bad boy comes out at an exceptionally reasonable $15.49 (that's enough to serve around 20 glasses of wine). Our taster noted that this wine offers an aromatic nose, smooth edges, and a round, full-bodied mouthfeel. They also appreciated that it was well-balanced and dry, and when they compared its taste to price, they found it to be great value for money, with a sleek, modern label adding to its charm. In contrast, Vendange cabernet sauvignon came in last; we found it to be thin-bodied and overly acidic, common qualities of low-quality wine. 

Cabernet sauvignon is one of the world's most popular red-wine grape varieties, and is grown and produced in most major winemaking regions. A standout cabernet sauvignon should check a few key boxes: It should be full-bodied, have a lively acidity, carry complex aromas of rich dark-fruit flavors like blackcurrant or plum, and finish with smooth tannins. According to our tester, Summit cabernet sauvignon hits all of these marks, which is exactly why it came out top in our ranking.

According to its Target description: "This medium-bodied wine has delicious notes of dark blackberry, rich coffee, and smooth tannins," which is a profile that reflects our taster's impressions that the wine was aromatic, smooth, balanced, and just dry enough to make it a clear standout for both quality and value. However, instead of medium-bodied, our taster found Summit to be full-bodied, which is actually an indicator of a high-quality cabernet sauvignon.

It's not just our taster who is impressed with this boxed wine. Summit appears to have won over other wine fans too. As one reviewer put it, "[Summit cabernet sauvignon] is the driest box red which is why I prefer it to all others I have tried. Great every day very drinkable." This combo of dryness, drinkability, and flavor is hard to find in most boxed wines, which makes Summit an affordable, every-day crowd-pleaser that we totally recommend giving a try if you're looking for a boxed wine that will surpass your expectations.