The West Wins in the Battle for Cabernet Supremacy
Lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon have always been spoiled for choice in Australia. With our diverse range of regions, terroir and style, the varietal is notoriously versatile with medium-bodied examples emanating from the cooler regions and mouth-filling jammy styles being produced in the warmer districts. Whatever the weather outside, there’s nothing better than indulging in the grape that made claret a household name.
While every state (I’m excluding the Northern Territory) in this great country has vineyards that produce Cabernet, it has long been the Coonawarra in South Australia that has held poll position in the quality race. Their terra rossa soils on limestone seem to be the secret to crafting complex wines with the trademark white pepper, cassis and ripe cherry characters. John Riddoch and Wynns are just two companies that have built their brand on Cabernet from the wine region that is famously shaped like a cigar. For decades, Coonawarra set the standard for Cabernet but in the last decade or so, the Maragaret River in Western Australia has been nipping at the heels of Coonawarra and if recent wine show results are anything to use as a guide, have now stolen the crown!
There are plenty of wine shows at which awards and medals can be won, but Australia’s most prestigious is undoubtedly (at least in my mind), the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards. And in 2023 it was striking that of the three Cabernets that either won a trophy or a Consistency of Excellence Medal, all of them hailed from the west! Not a single representative Cabernet from any other region, let alone the great Coonawarra! And for the record, it was the Hamelin Bay 2022 Cabernet from the Margaret River region that won best Cabernet in show.
The Margaret River has been blessed with a run of cracking vintages over the last 15 years. There haven’t been many bad ones! On the other hand, the Coonawarra has certainly had its ups and downs with significant variation between vintages. To some extent it’s very difficult to compare wines from the regions as they are each unique and offer different qualities that will appeal to individual palates.
But when it comes to Cabernet, the west is undoubtedly winning. There’s value at every price point. I’d suggest the FlameTree “Embers” Cabernet if you are shopping at the $20 price point and if you can spare a few more sheckles, you can’t go past the 2023 Hamelin Bay Cabernet at $35. This is a cracking wine and incredible value when you consider that the vineyard won a trophy for the 22 vintage of the same wine!
And for those that want something to collect and tuck away in the cellar, it’s impossible to go past the 2022 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet. This is an incredibly elegant wine that will stand the test of time. This is the 33rd edition of the family-owned winery’s flagship red, made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. On the nose, allspice, clove and blackcurrant emerge before the luxurious fruits grace the front palate; black cherries, liquorice, mulberries and cedar – the power and opulence is undeniable. As you’d expect of an iconic collectable wine, the tannin, acid and oak are perfectly in alignment and drive like a finely tuned supercar through a well-balanced finale with the power of a V12 but the grace of a ballerina.
Cabernet may account for only 5% of the world’s vineyards, but it’s the second most planted varietal in Australia. And when you consider the quality of our wines and their price points, it isn’t difficult to understand why it’s become the consumer’s friend. There are superb examples of the style across the country, but if recent vintages are any guide, it seems that the “wild” west is winning the battle for Cabernet supremacy.