cabernet merlot-masters-2017

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ABSOLUTELY

CabulousWith a few impressive Merlots and a host of exciting Cabernet Sauvignons, db’s

Masters competition showed that while some countries are lagging behind, others,

such as the US and Australia, are making classy expressions. By Rupert Millar

THE PURPLE grimace; the inescapablefact of tasting big, inky, tannic wines suchas Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. If thejudges look a little tight-lipped in thephotographs with this piece it’s notbecause they weren’t having a good timebut rather they wished to spare you thesight of their blackened maws. Ugly as wemay find it now, in Japan the practice ofdyeing one’s teeth black, known as‘ohaguro’, was considered extremelyattractive. So either we contemplateholding all future Cabernet Masters in ageisha house in Kyoto or (and no prizesfor guessing which would be thepreferred option by the management) wetook our group photographs before thetasting started.

Instead of cherry blossoms and hauntingchords of shamisen, though, the judgesmade good with the solidly oaken andcomfortingly British surroundings of

Bumpkin in South Kensington for whatproved to be a solid line-up of wines.

Bar a few of the excesses to whichCabernet in particular is subject to, thejudges found much to like in a greatmany of the wines.

MERLOTMerlot formed the smallest part of thetasting, which, as Jonathan Pedley MWnoted, was, “a shame”, in no small partbecause Merlot is still a big seller in partsof the UK market. The sample size mayhave been small but there was a crop ofGolds and Silvers, and a Master forChateau Ste Michelle’s 2013 Canoe Ridge Estate.

Patricia Stefanowicz MW in particularfound much to like, which came as asurprise to her. She said: “What was reallyrather exciting were the Merlot wines.Merlot is not normally a variety I love, or

even like much. On the day, we had atranche of delicious wines: Victoria plumsand violet accents with exotic Indianspices in the oaked versions. It seems thatColumbia Valley in Washington Stateproduces some very serious examples,with prices to match. Friuli and Chilehave some lovely succulent wines at moreaffordable prices.”

Merlot is such an underrated grape,sneered at and dismissed for notproducing ‘proper’ fine wines; capped offwith that line from Sideways. It is in manypeople’s eyes the “red Chardonnay,” asTobias Gorn suggested.

Merlot, of course, is the backbone anddriver of some of the most expensivewines in the world, Petrus and Le Pin. Wecan, perhaps, merely dream to dare tohope that a wine of that calibre will oneday slip into the line-up but the tastinghinted at two important things. First, that

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In a crowded wine-competition arena,the drinks business Global CabernetSauvignon and Merlot Masters standsout for its assessment of wines purelyby grape variety rather than by region.

Divided only by price bracket and, for ease of judging, style too, the blind-tasting format allowed wines to beassessed without prejudice about theircountry of origin.

The best wines were awarded medalsthat ranged from Bronze through toGold, as well as Master, the ultimateaccolade, given only to exceptionalwines in the tasting.

The wines were judged by a cherry-picked group of Masters of Wine and one Master Sommeliers on 12 May at Bumpkin in London’s South Kensington.

For more detail on the top-scoringwines, including tasting notes, seethedrinksbusiness.com

About the competition

Unoaked – 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage MedalUnder £10Trinchero Family Estates Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon California USA NV GoldViña Cousiño Macul Don Matias Maipo Chile 2015 SilverGrupo Peñaflor Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2016 SilverTrivento Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2016 SilverCanepa Famiglia Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2015 Silver Viña Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2016 Silver Sur Valles Wine Group Santa Alba Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Curicó Valley Chile 2016 BronzeChâteau Vartely Dealu Nucului Cabernet Sauvignon Valul Lui Traian Moldova 2014 BronzeChâteau Ksara Cabernet Sauvignon Bekea Valley Lebanon 2014 BronzeSur Valles Wine Group Patagón Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Curicó Valley Chile 2016 BronzeAresti Chile Wine Bellavista Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Curico Valley Chile 2015 BronzeVina Poletti Cabernet Sauvignon Hrvatska Croatia 2011 BronzeCodorníu Raventos Raimat Molí Cabernet Sauvignon Catalonia Spain 2014 BronzeQuinta de Maipo Maipo Vitral Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2015 Bronze

£10-£15Viña Santa Rita Medalla Real Maipo Chile 2013 GoldAustralian Vintage Nepenthe Altitude Cabernet Sauvignon Adelaide Hills Australia 2015 GoldTrinchero Family Estates Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon California USA 2014 GoldMt. Vernon Cabernet Sauvignon Paarl South Africa 2010 GoldSur Valles Wine Group Toro de Piedra Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Rapel Valley Chile 2015 GoldValentin Bianchi Famiglia Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2015 GoldViña Siegel Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2015 SilverTrinchero Family Estates The Show Cabernet Sauvignon California USA 2014 SilverMiguel Torres Chile Cordillera Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2014 SilverLangmeil Winery Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Australia 2015 SilverGrupo Peñaflor Don David Cabernet Sauvignon Salta Argentina 2016 SilverWakefield/Taylors Wines Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley Australia 2015 SilverViña Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reservas Maipo Chile 2014 SilverDistell Fleur Du Cap Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa 2014 SilverAresti Chile Wine Trisquel Series Parras Fumadoras Cabernet Sauvignon Curico Valley Chile 2015 SilverViña Tabali Talud Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Chile 2014 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2015 BronzeBerton Vineyards Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Coonawarra Australia 2015 BronzeColvendrà Cabernet Sauvignon Veneto Italy NV BronzeLuis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2016 BronzeTrivento Golden Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Uco Valley Argentina 2014 BronzeViña Undurraga Sibaris Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Chile 2015 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor Gran Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2014 Bronze

£15-£20Bodega Volcanes de Chile Tectonia Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Chile 2013 GoldViña Undurraga T.H. Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Maipo Maipo Chile 2014 GoldViña Casa Silva Gran Terroir de los Andes Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2015 SilverErnie Els Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa 2015 SilverViña Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Leyenda Pirque Chile 2014 SilverHoward Park Wines Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2014 SilverViña Undurraga T.H. Cabernet Suavignon Cauquenes Cauquenes Chile 2014 SilverTerraMater Altum Cabernet Sauvignon Curico Valley Chile 2015 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor Trapiche Medalla Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2014 BronzeTrinchero Family Estates Folie a Deux Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley USA 2013 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor Fincas Notables Cabernet Sauvignon Salta Argentina 2015 BronzeDistell Alto Cabernet Stellenbosch South Africa 2013 BronzeViña Siegel Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2014 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor Gran Medalla Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2014 Bronze

£20-£30De Bortoli Wines Melba Reserve Yarra Valley Australia 2013 GoldViña Perez Cruz Pircas de Liguai Cabernet Sauvignon Single Collection Maipo Valley Chile 2013 GoldDistell Nederburg Cabernet Private Bin 2013 Paarl South Africa 2013 GoldBird in Hand Cabernet Sauvignon Adelaide Hills Australia 2015 Gold

Oaked – 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot doesn’t have to come from the clayof the Liborne to produce top-flight wine,and there are several great Merlot sitesaround the world that are not getting therecognition and attention they deserve.Patrick Schmitt MW, editor-in-chief of thedrinks business was particularly taken bywhat turned out to be Lamaione byFrescobaldi, which he called “superb”.

And second, as judge Tobias Gorn said:“It helped to prove that the prejudiceshould not exist.”Fingers crossed there’llbe more next time round.

‘What was really ratherexciting were the Merlot

wines. Merlot is notnormally a variety I love,or even like much. On theday, we had a tranche of

delicious wines’

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage MedalUnder £10Viña Carmen Carmen Reserva Premier Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2016 Silver

£10-£15Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2015 Bronze

cabernet sauvignon and merlot masters

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CABERNET SAUVIGNONIf there were just a handful of Merlotsthere were a great many more ‘Cabs’. Butbeing such a popular and widely plantedvariety there were bound to be a few disappointments.

Overripe fruit, underripe fruit, leanness,bitterness, excessive tannins, alcohol andoak are all problems that can dogCabernet Sauvignon, and in New Worldcountries where the weather is soconsistent and the winemaking know-how so good, this really shouldn’t be an issue.

Pedley said: “Having just recently trieda slew of top Bordeaux from the 2015 and2016 vintages, these benchmark winesshow that it is possible to make greatCabernet wines that even in their youthare not too green, too oaky, too tannic nortoo alcoholic.”

It’s when winemakers try too hard thatsuch errors creep in. As Gorn said:“Playing the music louder does not makethe melodies sound better, unfortunately.”

It was disappointing too to see a numberof South African Cabernets that wereimmediately recognisable by their burntrubber, smoky and overly vegetal aromas.It’s such a shame that for a country that isreally kicking into gear and producingsome thrilling examples of Chenin Blanc,Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and

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CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalHoward Park Wines Leston Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2014 SilverLangmeil Winery Jackman’s Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Australia 2014 SilverFrederic Robinson Casarena Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2011 SilverHancrafted WinesRedHeads Whip-Hand Cabernet SauvignonBarossaAustralia2014SilverDrayton’s Family Wines Drayton’s Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Hunter Valley Australia 2014 SilverBarkan Winery Altitude 624 Upper Galilee Israel 2012 SilverBarkan Winery Altitude 585 Upper Galilee Israel 2012 BronzeTwinwoods Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2014 BronzeDistell Nederburg 2 Centuries Cabernet Paarl South Africa 2012 BronzeBodega de Sarria Señorío de Sarria Reserva Especial Navarra Spain 2010 BronzeGrupo Peñaflor Trapiche Terroir Series Limited Edition Mendoza Argentina 2013 BronzeGrupo PeñaflorMascota Vineyards Big Bat Cabernet Sauvignon MendozaArgentina2014BronzeSt Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Australia 2013 Bronze

£30-£50Cakebread Cellars Bakestone Cellars North Coast California North Coast USA 2014 MasterTrinchero Family Estates BRV Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley USA 2012 GoldViña Santa RitaCasa RealMaipo Chile2013GoldGatt WinesGatt Cabernet SauvignonEden ValleyAustralia2014SilverGatt Wines Gatt High Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Eden Valley Australia 2014 SilverWakefield/Taylors WinesSt Andrews Cabernet SauvignonClare ValleyAustralia2014SilverJackson Family Wines Stonestreet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley USA 2014 SilverGatt WinesGatt Cabernet SauvignonEden ValleyAustralia2013SilverGatt WinesGatt Cabernet SauvignonEden ValleyAustralia2009SilverGatt Wines Gatt High Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Eden Valley Australia 2013 SilverViña Carmen Gold Reserve Maipo Chile 2013 SilverWingara Wine Group Katnook Estate Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra Australia 2012 SilverMiguel Torres ChileManso de VelascoCentral ValleyChile2013BronzeTwinwoods Estate OPTIVUS Reserve Margaret River Margaret River Australia 2013 BronzeHoward Park WinesAbercrombie Western AustrailaAustralia2013Bronze

£50+Bird in Hand Marie Elizabeth Cabernet Sauvignon Adelaide Hills Australia 2013 MasterAbadia Retuerta Pago Valdebellón Catilla y Leon Spain 2014 MasterPahlmeyerCabernet SauvignonNapa ValleyUSA2014GoldDistellAlto MPHS StellenboschSouth Africa2011GoldWakefield/Taylors WinesThe Visionary Cabernet SauvignonClare ValleyAustralia2013GoldBird in Hand Nest Egg Cabernet Sauvignon Adelaide Hills Australia 2013 SilverFrederic Robinson Casarena DNA Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza Argentina 2011 Bronze

Oaked –100% Cabernet Sauvignon

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalUnder £10Château TanundaGrand Barossa Cabernet SauvignonBarossaAustralia2015GoldViña Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada Maipo Chile 2016 SilverDe Bortoli Wines Deen Vat 9 Cabernet Sauvignon Victoria Australia 2014 BronzeDe Bortoli Wines DB Family Selection Cabernet Merlot SE Australia Australia 2015 BronzeLuis Felipe Edwards Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2016 Bronze

£10-£15Viña Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Maipo Chile 2015 GoldViña Perez Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition Maipo Chile 2015 GoldTerraNoble Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Maule Chile 2014 GoldChilcas Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2013 SilverFrederic Robinson West Cape Howe ‘Hannah’s Hill’ Cabernet Merlot Mount Barker Australia 2014 SilverFrederic Robinson Ashbrook Cabernet Merlot Margaret River Australia 2012 SilverPernod Ricard Winemakers Church Road McDonald Series Hawkes Bay New Zealand 2014 SilverMercer Estates Winery Canyons Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills USA 2014 SilverViña Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Chile 2014 SilverViña Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Chile 2015 Silver

Oaked –BlendCabernet Sauvignon

‘Having just recently trieda slew of top Bordeauxfrom the 2015 and 2016

vintages, thesebenchmark wines show

that it is possible to makegreat Cabernet wines that

even in their youth arenot too green or oaky’

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Grenache that such a benchmark varietyas Cabernet Sauvignon should still beplagued by such an issue.

It wasn’t all gloom for South Africa,however; several wines picked up Silverand Gold medals and, if it’s anyconsolation, as Pedley said, failure if itcame knew no boundaries: “Geographywas no indication of quality.”

That said, looked at in a broad sweep itwas notable how restrained a lot of theexamples were, with alcohol kept inbalance, oak in check and tannins suppleand not too drying.

Indeed, some of the wines might havebeen a touch too restrained for sometastes. Sam Caporn MW thought: “A lotof the fruit was red and black cherry orraspberries; there was little obvious cassisand blackcurrant notes in many of them.”

Not that this was too much of a issueand, as she said, it showed the range of

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalViña Morandé Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Valle Central Chile 2014 SilverQuinta da Bacalhôa Cabernet Sauvignon Península de SetúbalPortugal2013BronzePernod Ricard Winemakers Jacob’s Creek Reserve Coonawarra Barossa Australia 2014 BronzeLa Motte Wine Estate La Motte Cabernet Sauvignon Western Cape South Africa 2014 BronzeTrinchero Family Estates Charles & Charles Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State USA 2015 BronzeViña Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley Chile 2015 BronzeViña Morandé Morandé Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Chile 2013 Bronze

£15-£20Kenwood Vineyards - Pernod Ricard KSonoma County Cabernet SauvignonSonoma CountyUSA2013SilverCono Sur 20 Barrels Maipo Valley Chile 2014 SilverDistellNeethlingshof The CaracalStellenboschSouth Africa2015SilverDomaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Los Vascos Grande ReserveColchaguaChile2014BronzeCavit Quatro Vicariati Rosso Trentino Superiore DOC Trentino Italy 2013 BronzeMazzeiTirreno - Maremma Toscana Rosso DOCTuscanyItaly2015BronzeViña Concha y Toro Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Chile 2014 BronzeCanepa Canepa Finisimo Cabernet Sauvignon Central Valley Chile 2015 BronzeMercer Estates Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills USA 2014 Bronze

£20-£30Chamlija WinesSui Generis Thrace/Strandja Mountains Turkey 2014 GoldViña Siegel Unique Selection Colchagua Chile 2013 SilverWaterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa 2014 SilverMarchesi Mazzei Spa AgricolaTenuta Belguardo Maremma Toscana Rosso DOC Tuscany Italy 2013 SilverViña Cousiño Macul Finis Terrae Valle del Maipo Chile 2012 BronzeTerre à Terre Crayeres Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Wrattonbury Australia 2015 BronzeKenwood Vineyards Pernod Ricard Jack London Vineyards Cabernet SauvignonSonoma MountainUSA2013Bronze

£30-£50Jackson Family Wines Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Sonoma County USA 2013 GoldDomaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite Le Dix de Los VascosColchaguaChile2013GoldPernod Ricard Winemakers Jacob’s Creek Bungalow Lane Cabernet Barossa Australia 2013 GoldTapanappa WinesWhalebone Vineyard Cabernet ShirazWrattonbullyAustralia2013GoldMira WineryCabernet SauvignonNapa ValleyUSA2012SilverTapanappa WinesWhalebone Vineyard Cabernet ShirazWrattonbullyAustralia2014SilverDistellDurbanville Hills The Tangram Bordeaux DurbanvilleSouth Africa2012BronzeBarkan Winery Superiore Cabernet Sauvignon Upper Galilee Israel 2012 BronzeThompson Estate Thompson Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2013 BronzeVina VentisqueroEnclaveMaipo AltoChile2012Bronze

£50+Jackson Family WinesFreemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet SauvignonNapa ValleyUSA2013MasterPahlmeyerProprietary RedNapa ValleyUSA2014GoldJeroboams Group Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2014 GoldThompson Estate The Specialist Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Australia 2013 GoldBlue Pyrenees Estate Richardson Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Pyrenees Australia 2012 GoldTrinchero Family Estates Taken Red Wine Napa Valley USA 2014 GoldViña ErrazurizDon Maximiano Founder’s ReserveAconcaguaChile2010GoldViña Cousiño MaculLOTAMaipoChile2010SilverViña ErrazurizDon Maximiano Founder’s ReserveAconcaguaChile2011Bronze

Oaked –BlendCabernet Sauvignon

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalUnder £10Ronco Margherita Ronco Margherita Merlot Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2015 BronzeLanchester Wines Altaria Merlot Valle Central Chile 2015 BronzeCasas del Toqui Single Estate Merlot Central Valley Chile 2016 Bronze

£10-£15Vigneti le Monde Merlot DOC Friuli Grave Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2015 Silver

Unoaked 100% Merlot

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedal£10-£15Viña MaipoMaipo Vitral MerlotCentral ValleyChile2015Silver

Unoaked Blend

‘The tasting showed therange of styles Cabernet

was capable of, fromtighter, restrained red

fruits to more overt blackfruits with mint and oak’

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cabernet sauvignon and merlotmasters

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalUnder 10Trinchero Family Estates Sutter Home Merlot California USA NV SilverChâteau Vartely Dealu Nucului Merlot Valul Lui Traian Moldova 2014 Bronze

£10-£15Ornella Molon Traverso Merlot Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2011 SilverVeramonte Ritual Merlot Casablanca Chile 2015 SilverWakefield/Taylors WinesWakefield/Taylors MerlotClare ValleyAustralia2016SilverMasut da Rive Semidis Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 2013 Bronze

£15-£20Giesen WinesThe Brothers Hawkes Bay MerlotHawkes BayNew Zealand2014SilverTrinchero Family Estates Napa Cellars Merlot Napa Valley USA 2014 BronzeAresti Chile Wine Trisquel Series Merlot, Altitud 1245 Curicó Valley Chile 2015 BronzeMontelio Provincia di Pavia IGT Merlot Comprino Mirosa Lombardy Italy 2013 Bronze

£20-£30Veramonte Ritual Arroyo Block CasablancaChile2015GoldWakefield/Taylors WinesTaylors Winemakers Project Merlot Clare Valley/Coonawarra Australia 2013 GoldMasciarelli Merlot IGT Terre Aquilane Marina Cvetic Abruzzo Italy 2013 GoldOrnella Molon Traverso Sottocastello Rosso Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2012 Bronze

£30-£50Groot Constantia MerlotConstantiaSouth Africa2014GoldCastel SalleggNussleiten DOC Alto AdigeAlto AdigeItaly2013SilverFantinel La Roncaia Fusco Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2013 SilverCantina AndrianoGant Alto Adige Merlot RiservaAlto AdigeItaly2013Bronze

£50+Frescobaldi Lamaione Tuscany Italy 2012 GoldFasoli Gino Organo Rosso Veronese I.G.T Merlot Veneto Italy 2009 Silver

Oaked 100% Merlot

styles Cabernet was capable of, “fromtighter, restrained red fruits to more overtblack fruits with mint and oak”.

Another noticeable quality of manywines was how easy it was to pin themdown to a country. South Africa’s moreunfortunate qualities aside, there was the(usually) pleasant, cool-climate leafinessfrom Chile, the peppermint of Australia,and the US stood out with its “cocoa, redfruit and graphite”, said Gorn.

The US and Australia in particular werelauded as stand-out countries, the latterproducing “varietally distinct, excellentlymade wines”, as Caporn noted.

SURPRISE COUNTRYBoth countries won a clutch of Masters,the only ones to do so, bar one surpriseentry. It is clear that the majority of thewines tasted were from the New World, where producers have always exhibited a keenness for competitions that vergeson mania.

Clement Robert MS from 28-50 said: “I was surprised by the relatively lowentry of Bordeaux wines. We know thatoutside the cru classé categories,Bordeaux wines struggle to sell, despitesome really high-quality examples at fairprices. I do think that sales wouldimprove if they were to prove their worthin competitions.”

Another noticeablequality of many wineswas how easy it was to

pin them down to acountry. Cool-climateleafiness from Chile,

the peppermint ofAustralia, and the US

stood out with its ‘cocoa,red fruit and graphite’

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On the other hand, much likeFrescobaldi’s Lamaione in the Merlotcategory, there was a European contenderthat came bursting through – from Spainof all places.

Pago Valdebellón from Abadia Retuertain Castile y Léon – as it turned out to be –had judges rather scratching their headsas to where it might be from.

Spain and Cabernet are two entities inthe wine world that seem so inherentlydisparate that it might otherwise bemaking world headlines.

Yet where there might otherwise havebeen complete astonishment, it wasrecalled that two years ago anotherSpanish Cabernet, that time Mas La Planafrom Miguel Torres, had also scooped aMasters out from under more famousCabernet-growing places.

And Navarra in the north of the countryalso has a long tradition of Cabernetproduction, so perhaps Spain is a countrythat has been hiding its Cabernet laurelsunder a bushel.

cabernet sauvignon and merlot masters

Navarra in the north ofthe country also has a

long tradition of Cabernetproduction, so perhapsSpain has been hiding

its Cabernet laurels under a bushel

CompanyWine NameRegionCountryVintageMedalUnder £10MAN Vintners MAN Jan Fiskaal Merlot Coastal Region South Africa 2015 BronzeMcPherson WinesMcPherson Family Vineyards - The Angus MerlotVictoriaAustralia2015Bronze

£10-£15Viña Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Merlot Maule Valley Chile 2014 SilverChâteau de Colombe Château de Colombe Bordeaux France 2015 Bronze

£15-£20Trinchero Family Estates Merlot Alexander Valley USA 2013 SilverRod McDonald Wines Merlot Cabernet France Hawkes Bay New Zealand 2013 Bronze

£20-£30Jackson Family Wines Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Merlot Sonoma County USA 2013 SilverViña Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Merlot Maule Valley Chile 2015 Silver

£30-£50Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot Columbia Valley USA 2013 MasterJackson Family Wines Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Merlot Sonoma County USA 2013 GoldSte. Michelle Wine Estates Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot Columbia Valley USA 2012 GoldChamlija Wines Chamlija Merlot Strandja Mountains Turkey 2013 SilverJackson Family Wines Mantanzas Creek Sonoma County Merlot Sonoma County USA 2013 SilverVignalta Colli Euganei DOC Rosso Arquà Veneto Italy 2011 SilverScubla Rosso "Scuro" DOC FCO Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2013 Bronze

Oaked Blend Merlot

TOBIAS D. GORN, BOISDALE“I was expecting a lot more over-extraction and a bit less class this timefrom over the pond and I’m so happy that I was proven wrong. Some of theCalifornian wines were singing, and were amazingly balanced withcomplexity, and were worthy of long ageing.

“I loved the cooling mint and eucalyptus aromas and flavours from Australia, the harmony of cocoa, red fruit and graphite from the US, and the overall sweet-and-savoury cassis. Clean, balanced and not overdone expressions were showing some fine qualities.

“Sometimes over-extraction resulted in a hollow mid-palate and shorter finish,strangely. Less is often more. I’d also highlight some borderline faulty brettanomyceslevels. It just kills the fruit, and that’s self defeating.

“No drama, King Cabernet is still ruling but lighter varieties are always up for a dueldepending on the current fashion trends. I reckon high-quality Cabernets will always bein demand, and it was not really a surprise but a great triumph to see a couple of well-known larger producers creating some very well made expressions.”

What did the judges think?

KING CABAnd, finally, what about that ever-contentious issue, ‘value’? Again, much asCabernet is grown all over the world andcan be made in a number of styles, so itcan also span the price points.

The tasting included wines from under£10 a bottle to examples that cost morethan £50, and there was some splitopinion from the judges as to whether allof them were worth it.

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Masters. They’re certainly not wines atprices most people would call ‘everyday’but there’s no denying that at the top it’shard to beat ‘King Cab’. db

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Pedley in particular stated that therewas “a pretty disastrous lack of value formoney among the premium wines”.

It is true that in the £20-£30 bracket therewere perhaps rather more bronzes thanone might hope for in wines of that level.Of course, part of this might be thetendency to judge higher-quality winesmore stringently. One can be moreforgiving and indulgent of a wine under£10 showing anything less than utterperfection but which is at least ‘correct’and ‘delivers’.

Looking at the results, it’s clear thatthere are a good number of gold andsilver medals in the £10-£15 category –certainly ‘premium’ price points by thatstandard of today’s marketeers. In all ofthe 100% Cabernet flights the results were

fairly even, it was in the Cabernet blendsthat lower levels can be detected,especially in the £20-£30 bracket, whereSilver was the highest award.

Then again, despite taking a harder linewith higher-priced wines, in the £50+category there were only two Bronzes andtwo Silvers, the rest being Golds and

cabernet sauvignon and merlot masters

Looking at the results, it’s clear that there are a

good number of gold andsilver medals in the £10-£15 category –

certainly ‘premium’ pricepoints by that standard of today’s marketeers

Seated left to right:Sam Caporn MWPatricia Stefanowicz MWDalila KatiaClement Robert MS

Standing left to rightNicola ThomsonKeith Isaac MWRupert MillarTobias D. GornDavid Round MW Patrick Schmitt MWJonathan Pedley MW Annette Scarfe MW

Judges

PATRICIA STEFANOWICZ MW –WINE CONSULTANT“What I found, as expected, is that Cabernet needs oak, or a blendingvariety to fill the mid-palate.

“That said, we did find a couple of un-oaked Cabernets that had enoughflavour to hold together. Quite a few of the Chilean wines were rather

herbaceous, not always in a pleasant way. Some of the South African wines were overlyburnt and meaty, yet with a green note.

“Price doesn’t matter very much when it comes to quality or value for money: therewere excellent wines at price-points over £10-£15. It is true that Masters come at priceshigher than £30, and these are truly serious examples of the type, with many years stillin hand. They were sensuous, with great intensity and structure, balanced, however,even in their adolescence.

“The Global Masters was a fascinating snapshot of what is happening in the world ofCabernet and Merlot. Generally, the wines were a delight to taste; we found someexceptional samples.”

What did the judges think?

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