With a legacy as rich as the soil that nurtures its vines, Cabernet Sauvignon stands an international aristocrat amongst grape varieties, gaining the utmost respect from connoisseurs and wine lovers alike.
The grape variety thrives in a multitude of climates and regions, making it a global ambassador of fine red wines which intertwine history, terroir, and craftsmanship.
From famed Bordeaux to the sun-kissed Napa Valley, its signature notes of blackcurrant, plum, and hints of herbaceousness carry a sense of place with each sip.
Scroll down to see 15 top-scoring Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wines from DWWA 2024
In this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), Australia was the frontrunner for top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon with eight varietal wines achieving 95+ points.
Margaret River in Western Australia proved the leader with four Gold medals for its expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon and one Best in Show awarded to Fermoy, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. Elsewhere in Australia, Coonawarra secured a Platinum medal with Wynns Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.
New World Cabernet Sauvignon wines impressed at DWWA 2024 with South Africa, Argentina, Chile and USA receiving top medals. The second Platinum medal awarded to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon received Argentina with Bemberg Estate Wines, La Linterna Parcela 19 Las Mercedes Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 from Cafayate, Salta. The judges described it as ‘softly evolved and remarkable.’
Gold medal were also awarded to Italy, Croatia and Serbia, highlighting the variety’s versatility and adaptability in different climates.
To celebrate International Cabernet Sauvignon Day, we highlight 15 top-scoring Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wines from DWWA which are well worth looking for. Discover more award-winning wines at awards.decanter.com →
Celebrating International Cabernet Sauvignon Day: 15 to try
Argentina
Bemberg Estate Wines, La Linterna Parcela 19 Las Mercedes Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Cafayate, Salta 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Sultry pencil shaving, liquorice and crushed black pepper tones are engulfed by a fluidity of rapturous strawberry, blueberry and blackcurrant which swirl across the plush tannins, fine acidity and silky texture. Softly evolved and remarkable. Alcohol 14%
Domaine Bousquet, Ameri Organic Cabernet Sauvignon, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza 2021
Gold, 95 points
Dense and tightly packed with quintessential blackcurrant, cherry and plum atop a lavish spectrum of smoky oak and tingling espresso. Fleshy and vivacious with sleek tannins. Alc 14.5%
Australia
Fermoy, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia 2020
Best in Show, 97 points
Do Cabernet Sauvignon and Margaret River go together? Well, it’s the fourth time that the combination has been featured in our Best In Show selection – so yes, they do. Three of those laureates, intriguingly, have come from the high-quality, low-quantity 2020 vintage – and if this wine is anything to go by, it’s a vintage which is taking its time to reach even early maturity. This wine remains an opaque black-red in colour, with admirably pure and restrained aromas of shapely blackcurrant lent freshening complexity by bush and scrub notes – a single sniff is transporting. The wine is concentrated and refined on the palate. Not merely fruity, though there is plenty of that ‘noble’ blackcurrant to enjoy, but the fruit is lent shade and nuance by the biotope allusions evident on the nose. The tannins and acids are measured and proportionate; the ripeness well-judged; and the wine moves through the mouth with easy, drinkable grace. Alc 14%
Wynns Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia 2020
Platinum, 97 points
Vast swathes of ripe dark fruits and florals, melted liquorice and cedar leap across the nose and palate and are tempered by a seamless mineral core interspersed with flecks of fragrant herbs. Long and memorable. Alc 13.5%
Evans & Tate, Redbrook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia 2020
Gold, 95 points
A voluminous core of plums, cranberries, blueberries and cassis tightly swaddled in plush cedar oak with fine-boned tannins and a youthful grip of smoky violets on the finish. Alc 14.5%
Chile
Espíritu de Chile, Intrépido Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, Curicó 2022
Gold, 95 points
Glistening with juicy blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry fruit, exuding vibrance and freshness across the nose and palate and finishing with fragrant herbal and pepper infusions. Alc 13%
Croatia
Vizzulin, Dr. Cabernet Sauvignon, Dalmatinska Zagora, Coastal 2016
Gold, 95 points
Elegant and noble with layers of red fruit, vanilla and baking spice which bowl you over even before you reach the immersive structure, bright acidity and poised tannins. Alc 14.6%
France
Château Haut Breton, Larigaudière, Margaux, Bordeaux 2022
Gold, 95 points
Expressive bramble and blackberry fruit laced with refreshing mint which flows stealthily across the silky palate. Erudite and structured with broad tannins and a long complex finish. Alc 13.5%
Italy
Castello di Albola, Acciaiolo, Toscana 2020
Gold, 95 points
Inviting blackcurrants, berries and damsons abound with subtle notes of clove, wood smoke and pencil shavings. Densely structured and bold with a nurturing seam of acidity. Alc 14%
New Zealand
Chateau Waimarama, Emigao Cabernet Sauvignon, Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay 2016
Gold, 96 points
Ageing gracefully with plump blackberry, violet and tobacco with an infectious lick of vanilla oak spice. Elegantly structured and enduring with truffle-infused tannins and sultry acidity. Alc 13.7%
Serbia
Aleksandrovic Winery, Vožd Cabernet Sauvignon, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava 2017
Gold, 95 points
Wonderfully evolved characters of mellow wood, clove and leather with layer upon layer of lush plums, cassis, sloe berries and dried herbs. Complete and refined. Alc 14%
South Africa
Tokara, Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2021
Best in Show, 97 points
This intriguing Bordeaux blend from the Cape’s Stellenbosch (Cabernet with, in this case, a little Petit Verdot and Malbec but no Merlot) is splendidly deep in colour and has sophisticated aromas which take the drinker well beyond blackcurrant towards plum, bramble and damson, with sumptuous incense spices lending a little exotic lustre. It’s deep and shows complex fruits on the palate which engage and carry the wine engagingly through to the finish. A juicy acidity provides the principle balancing note, with supple supporting tannins. The winemaking here puts the emphasis on drinkability with detail; there’s no need to age this accessible, agile wine any further (though the quality of the raw materials will carry it through time, too). Alc 14.5%
Stark-Condé, Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon, Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch 2020
Gold, 96 points
An intriguing fragrance of cassis, plums, violets and liquorice wrapped in a lush, silky texture and tannins with a generosity of finely etched oak. Absolute class. Alc 14%
Spain
Celler Pasanau, Finca La Planeta, Priorat 2020
Gold, 96 points
A staggering intensity of blackberry, cherry and currant with an allure of herbal, floral perfume and an amazing chalky, mineral structure well cut by an invigorating acidity. Alc 14.5%
USA
Forthright Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Atlas Peak, California 2019
Gold, 95 points
Abundant red florals, sweet spice and ripe black cherry flavours overflow and sprawl over the vibrant structure, with toasted coffee tannins and a tapering savoury length. Alc 14.2%
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