After completing the judging of our Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters earlier this year, we have selected the 12 best bottles from the competition, taking into account a price range – from £12 to £450 – and source regions, including the mountains of Turkey and the ancient vineyards of Tuscany and Chile.
CASILLERO DEL DIABLO PRIVATE RESERVE, 2019
- Producer: Concha and Toro
- Region: Maipo Valley
- Country: Chile
- About. public price: 12€
As the lowest-priced gold-winning wine in this year’s competition, Casillero del Diablo’s Reserva Privada Cabernet Sauvignon was the top pick of 2022. Using fruit from Chile’s top cabernet-growing region, the Valley of Maipo is a go-to expression for under £20, with delicious cassis, cedar and sweet tobacco characters, a subtle hint of dried mint, then a little cream, before the wine finishes. with a hint of cracked pepper and fine, lingering tannins to gently dry the palate. In short, a ripe, layered style of red that’s juicy but not heavy or sweet. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
CHAMLIJA, 2019
- Producer: Chamlija
- Region: Strandja Mountains
- Country: Turkey
- About. detail the price: £36
Made by top-notch Turkish wine producer Chamlija, who manages to produce excellent results with native eastern Mediterranean grapes and a wide range of international varieties, this is a wonderful and distinctive cabernet from the verdant mountains of Strandja. There’s lots of sweet, ripe raspberry and cassis, creamy vanilla from the oak barrels used in the winemaking process, along with hints of dark chocolate and black pepper and a hint of nettle. This is a generous, meaty style of Cabernet, but with a pleasantly chewy tannic edge to bring a dry finish after the first hint of juicy fruit and chocolate flavors. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
WAKEFIELD TAYLORS MASTERSTROKE CABERNET-SHIRAZ, 2018
- Producer: Wakefield Taylors Wines
- Region: Claire Valley
- Country: Australia
- About. detail the price: £30
Believing that “the best wines are made with dedication and care,” Taylors Wines “respects the fruit” grown on its estates in South Australia’s Clare Valley, near the Wakefield River. A masterstroke indeed, this wine delivers sweet black and red fruits with hints of violets, fresh herbs and tobacco. Ripe with lively acidity and silky tannins, the finish is long and complex. A relatively linear style, this would be a great choice with a chick stuffed with wild, white rice in a currant and red wine sauce. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
PHILIP MAZZEI TOSCANA IGT, 2018
- Producer: Mazzei, Fonterutoli Castle
- Region: Tuscany
- Country: Italy
- About. detail the price: £44
Named after the famous 17th century ancestor Mazzei, Philip is produced from old Fonterutoli and Belguardo vines grown on the limestone and sandstone soils of these two estates in Tuscany. The wine shows masses of ripe bramble and blackberry and smoky and hedgey accents. Rich and quite full-bodied, there’s lively acidity and velvety yet plentiful tannins supporting the intense flavors. A long and savory finish completes the wine. Deer or wild boar as a good culinary pairing, perhaps? (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
TREFETHEN FAMILY VINEYARDS, 2019
- Producer: Trefethen family vineyards
- Region: Oak Knoll, Napa Valley, California
- Country: UNITED STATES
- About. detail the price: £40
Sustainably farmed vineyards surround the winery with locally sourced redwood trees in the Oak Knoll sub-area of iconic Napa Valley. Trefethen received the 2022 California Green Medal Environment Award, which highlights the estate’s viticultural approach, as well as the biodiversity and resilience built into the entire operation. This vibrant, ultra-full-bodied and rich style of wine is packed with flavors of dark berries, sour cherries and Victoria plums, backed by crisp acidity and silky yet prominent tannins to support the fruit and cedar wood flavors. Textured, layered and complex, the wine has years ahead of it, but would be perfect even now, with rich game or rare steak. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
CARMEN GOLD 2019
- Producer: Domains of Santa Rita
- Region: Maipo Andes, Maipo Valley
- Country: Chile
- About. detail the price: £60
Carmen Gold is the signature expression of Chile’s oldest winery, Viña Carmen, employing old vines of Cabernet Sauvignon – and a sprinkle of Cabernet Franc – from the producer’s best vineyards in the Maipo Andes. It’s an intense wine, with concentrated fruit, cassis to cherry and a touch of raspberry, complemented by layers of additional flavors, from dark chocolate to toast, before revealing a dry tannic structure as the wine s slowly fades away, leaving an appetizing finish that tastes of fresh plums and cedar. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
LUIGI BOSCA FINCA LOS NOBLES, 2018
- Producer: Luigi Bosca
- Region: Mendoza
- Country: Argentina
- About. detail the price: £64.95
This is a powerful wine with rich blackberry and licorice spice notes lifted by cooler notes of lavender, bell pepper and tobacco leaf from Cabernet Bouchet (an old Cabernet Franc clone). Its deep color is reflected in its intense nose and complex palate. It has gripping but elegant tannins, and a mineral, almost saline quality, giving it an understated freshness that surprises in such a great wine. Very long, it develops beautifully in the mouth. Would go wonderfully with hoisin duck or lamb with Chinese five-spice seasoning. (Siobhan Turner MW)
NEDERBURG PRIVATE BAC R163, 2018
- Producer: Distell Ltd.
- Region: western cape
- Country: South Africa
- About. detail the price: £28
Nederburg was founded in 1791 by German immigrant Philippus Wolvaart. The impressive thatched, gabled Cape Dutch mansion was completed in 1800 and is now a national monument. This wine is just as magnificent as the house. Deep ruby in colour, the wine is full and rich, full of bramble and smoked meat flavors. Fresh acidity and dense tannins balance the generous alcohol, and hints of dark chocolate and vanilla bean accentuate the long finish. It’s one for the braai. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
COLD CREEK VINEYARD, 2018
- Producer: Chateau Ste. Michelle
- Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
- Country: UNITED STATES
- About. detail the price: £35
Using fruit from one of Washington State’s most famous sites, the 50-year-old Cold Creek Vineyard, this Columbia Valley Cabernet is a generous, structured, complex and beautifully balanced glass of red. There are plenty of barrel-influenced characters, from toast and roast coffee to vanilla and caramel, which complement the plump, ripe fruit of the cassis, and the supporting framework of dry, fine-grained tannins, which lingers after swallowing this luscious Cabernet, helping to cool the mouth in preparation for another sip. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
REAL HOME RESERVED SPECIAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2019
- Producer: Domains of Santa Rita
- Region: Alto Jahuel, Maipo Andes
- Country: Chile
- About. detail the price: £90
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon from an almost 60-year-old vineyard located in one of the highest parts of the Maipo Valley, an area called Alto Jahuel, this is a wine of intensity and freshness. Indeed, it is a beautifully balanced red that benefits from the free-draining soils of an ancient alluvial terrace of the Maipo River and the cool night air of the Andean mountains above. In terms of flavors, this Casa Real of 2019, the 30e vintage since its launch with the 1989 harvest, is loaded with ripe and juicy cassis and black cherry, tobacco leaf and cedar, complemented by notes of cocoa powder and toast, with a nice dry and fresh touch to the mouth-watering wine that will ensure that this version, like others before it, will age beautifully if properly stored in the cellar. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
MT. BRAVE, 2018
- Producer: Mont Brave Wines
- Region: Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Ancient: 2018
- About. retail price: £75
From grapes grown on the red rock slopes of Mount Veeder, this is mountain Cabernet Sauvignon at its finest. With an extremely deep purple-black color, the wine shows dense dark fruit backed by toasty, almost “tarry” accents and a delicate layering of rose petals and baking spice. Rich, full-bodied, layered and complex with great definition and length. Interesting now, with roast venison, for example, but one can only imagine it will age well. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)
PENFOLDS BAC 707, 2019
- Producer: Penfolds
- Region: McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Padthaway
- Country: Australia
- About. detail the price: £450
The highest rated wine of the competition, this flagship pure Cabernet from Penfolds is an exceptional expression of the varietal and a beacon of Australia’s brilliance. From the 2019 vintage, it’s a taste of a powerful, fine wine with a long life ahead of it, but that doesn’t stop it from being a delicious drop now. It starts with notes of fresh fruit, from black cherry to fresh gooseberries, followed by fleshy red, blue and black berries, before the flavors evolve into notes of creamy vanilla, then cocoa powder and walnut shavings. coconut, before the appealing characters gradually fade away to leave a fine, sandy textured finish, with plenty of dry tannins to refresh the mouthfeel. (Patrick Schmitt MW)
About the contest
With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters offers a chance for your wines to be distinguished, whether they come from a region famous for the varietal or from a lesser-known wine region. of the world.
The best wines receive gold, silver or bronze medals depending on their result, and expressions that stand out as being exceptional in their field receive the ultimate distinction – the title of Master Cabernet Sauvignon.
Please visit The World Masters website for more information or to enter future competitions – giving you the opportunity to be featured online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@ thedrinksbusiness.com
This year’s Global Cabernet Masters wines were judged on June 17 by the following members of the profession:
- Patrick Schmitt MW
- Andrea Briccarello
- Siobhan Turner MW
- Tim Tiptree MW
- Jonathan Pedley MW
- Patricia Stefanowicz MW
- Matthew Stubbs MW
- Miles Corish MW
- Matthieu Longère MS
Read more
The medal-winning wines of the Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2022
This is our best Cabernet of 2022
The Top 10 Cabernet Trends of 2021
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