Cabernet Sauvignon tasting with Brian Croser and Santa Rita Estates

Santa Rita Estates tasting Cabernet Sauvignon tasting with Brian Croser and Santa Rita Estates

Decanter's consultant editor Steven Spurrier attended a unique tasting of some of the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignons in a blind tasting last week presented by winemaker Brian Croser in partnership with Santa Rita Estates. Read Steven's report below plus see the collection of wines plus his tasting notes and scores as well as pictures from the evening here.

Steven Spurrier's tasting report:

In presenting the tasting of 12 Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from around the world, Brian Croser quoted Jancis Robinson in her Wine Grapes book as describing the it as âthe worldâs best travelled grape variety making concentrated, tannic wines for particularly long ageingâ.

He then gave his own description of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile: âNearly always with a glass-staining vibrant colour, opening to fresh aromas of spicy, slightly briary, essence of Cabernet fruit, tinged with an exotic edge of mulberry and cassis. The ripe fruit sweetness of the middle palate graduates to a plane of definite and serious tannins. This is a serious terroir-driven red wine of a style that canât be produced anywhere else.â The organisation Wine Chile seems to concur, stating that âCabernet Sauvignon is Chileâs star grape, the king of all reds.â

Whether the crowded room at Claridges would agree with these statements was left to the tasting, which was blind, in two flights of six wines each followed by brief comments from the room. Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of a marriage between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, the latter bringing a certain âgreennessâ to the fruit. Across the four Bordeaux varieties planted in Chile, Merlot is the least green, then Cabernet Franc, then Cabernet Sauvignon, with Carmenere being the most green. Another quote from Jancis Robinson: âWhat is remarkable about Cabernet Sauvignon is that it imprints its identity so firmly on any wine that includes it, although it manages to produce great wine in only a small proportion of the hundreds of regions in which it is planted.â

The proof was in the tasting, in which Chile figured very well.

Watch Decanter's exclusive video interview with Brian Croser here

See Steven Spurrier's tasting notes and scores of the wines at the tasting here blank Watch our exclusive interview with Brian Croser from the Cabernet Sauvignon tasting at Claridges: NEXT: See the list of wines from the tasting plus Steven Spurrier's tasting notes and scores

Te Mata Coleraine New Zealand 2009 Te Mata Coleraine 2009 Hawkes Bay NZ 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc Deep carmine red, fine ripe spicy and slightly earthy Cabernet berry fruit nose, quite lifted fragrance and firm, still rather green on the palate, tannins and oak present but not dominant, classy wine with a good future. Drink: 2015-25. Score: 17pts/20 (90/100pts) (Thought to be a bit green with high acidity.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Petalumba Cabernet Merlot 2008 Petaluma Coonawarra 2008 Australia Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 31%, Shiraz 9%. Ripe black cherry red, warm and nicely concentrated black berries on the nose, both rich and smooth and a touch of camphor spice on the palate, seductive, even exotic for Cabernet Sauvignon, tannins and oak back it up and natural acidity keeps it fresh, quite forward, very fruity, could be more complex.. Drink: 2013-20. Score: 16.5pts/20 (88/100pts) (Good spicy wine, a bit easy-going.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Carmen Gold Reserve 2010 2010 Carmen Gold Reserve 2010 Maipo Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 100% Dense concentrated red, concentration of red and black summer fruits on the nose, rich and spicy and lovely warmth of expression, polished and quite velvety (for Cabernet) texture and very good natural richness, deep plummy fruit with very good tannins and acidity, complex and great potential. Drink: 2014-24. Score: 17.5pts/20 (91/100pts) (Generally recognised as plummy and ripe.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Sassicaia 2009 Sassicaia 2009 Bolgheri Italy Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Cabernet Franc 15%. Deep young red, some maturity on rim, good rather briary autumnal berry fruits bouquet, ripe and surprisingly open on the palate, but slightly rough tannins are there at the end, good clear wine, good vineyard fruit. Drink: 2014-20. Score: 16.5pts/20 (88/100pts) (Still hard, needs time.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Domaine de Chevalier 2009 Domaine de Chevalier 2012 Pessac-LÃ©ognan, GCC Velvety black-red, impressive concentration of ripe, slightly leafy fruit, good depth and clarity, slight green 17.5/20pts ( 91/100pts) Drink: 2016 - 2030 Taster: Steven Spurrier Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Stellenbosch South Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 100%. Dense young red, lively rim, very attractive, spicy nose, all in balance and lots of depth of fruit and very good ripe smoothness, quite vigourous and firm, even a little backward, but complexity to come out. Drink: 2015-25. Score: 17pts/20 (90/100pts) . (Not universally liked).

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Santa Rita Casa Real 2010 Santa Rita Casa Real 2010 Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 100%. Deep young red, still purple rim, rich, almost explosive blackcurrant nose, lots of ripeness that continues on the palate which is broad, full, seductively rich with natural tannins and oak to back it up, overall in the âsweetâ Cabernet style, but lots of depth for a good future. Drink: 2014-22. Score: 17.5pts/20 (91/100pts) (Mixed opinions, but generally favoured.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Cullen 2009 Cullen Diana Madeline 2009 Margaret River Australia Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Cabernet Franc 6%, Merlot 4%, Malbec 2%. Fine dense red, young rim, lovely expression of spicy berry fruits on the nose, immediately classy fragrance, very good tannin/acid balance and oak perfectly blended in, still firm, but this is a wine of great class for the future. Drink: 2015-25. Score: 18pts/20 (93/100pts) (Mixed opinions: Sarah Kemp's and my favourite wine)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Sena 2008 Sena 2008 Aconcagua Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Carmenere 20%, Merlot 10%, Petit Verdot 8%, Cabernet Franc 5%. Dense black red, the darkest so far, big, concentrated and rich nose, almost chocolate-y in rich smoothness, both succulent and rich on the palate and good berry fruit comes through, very good wine of the robustly fruity style. Drink: 2013-20. Score: 17pts/20 (90/100pts) (Very rich, thought by some to be from California.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier chateau pontet canet 2008 Chateau Pontet-Canet 2008 Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit-Verdot 4%. Good dense red, young rim, concentrated blackcurrant nose with good spice and oak nicely blended in, both rich yet quite backward, high natural acidity and firm tannins, still quite green on the finish and needs time to lose this, but the vineyard class should come through. Drink: 2015-24. Score: 17pts/20 (90/100pts) . (Not universally liked, not a ripe vintage).

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Santa Rita Casa Real 2008 Santa Rita Casa Real 2008 Maipo Chile Cabernet Sauvignon 100%. Dense red, very young rim, ripe blackcurrant fruit on the nose, rich and plummy, good Cabernet depth and berry spice, natural acidity backs it up and the tannins are clear and the oak blended in, an impressive wine with rich fruit, firm structure and a good future. Drink: 2014-22. Score: 17.5pts/20 (91/100pts) . (Mixed opinions, generally positive.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier Ridge Monte Bello 2009 Ridge Monte Bello 2009 Santa Cruz California Cabernet Sauvignon 79%, Merlot 10%, Petit Verdot 9%, Cabernet Franc 2%. Dense red, very young rim, good black berry spice and good smoothness and ripeness on the palate, quite straightforward style, but good firm tannins that will repay keeping, could be more complex now, but very good fruit for the future. Drink: 2014-24. Score: 17pts/20 (90/100pts) (Found to be backward; really liked by Jancis Robinson.)

Tasted by Steven Spurrier

NEXT: See a collection of pictures from the evenning's tasting session Santa Rita Estates tasting Brian Croser and Peter McCombie MW Cecilia Torres - Head Winemaker Santa Rita Casa Real Santa Rita Estates tasting The tasting list included: Chateau Pontet Canet , Paulliac, Bordeaux, France, 2008 Te Mata Coleraine, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon , Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008 Petaluma Cabernet Merlo t, Coonawarra, South Australia, 2008 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2008 Sena , Aconcagua, Chile, 2008 Sassicaia , Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy 2009 Cullen 'Diana Madeline' , Margaret River, Western Australia, 2009 Domaine de Chevalier , Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France, 2009 Ridge Monte Bello , Santa Cruz, California, USA, 2009 Carmen Gold Reserve , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Estates tasting Jane McQuitty - Times wine writer Santa Rita Estates tasting The tasting list included: Chateau Pontet Canet , Paulliac, Bordeaux, France, 2008 Te Mata Coleraine, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon , Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008 Petaluma Cabernet Merlo t, Coonawarra, South Australia, 2008 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2008 Sena , Aconcagua, Chile, 2008 Sassicaia , Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy 2009 Cullen 'Diana Madeline' , Margaret River, Western Australia, 2009 Domaine de Chevalier , Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France, 2009 Ridge Monte Bello , Santa Cruz, California, USA, 2009 Carmen Gold Reserve , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Estates tasting Brian Croser and Peter McCombie MW Cecilia Torres - Head Winemaker Santa Rita Casa Real Santa Rita Estates tasting The tasting list included: Chateau Pontet Canet , Paulliac, Bordeaux, France, 2008 Te Mata Coleraine, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon , Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008 Petaluma Cabernet Merlo t, Coonawarra, South Australia, 2008 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2008 Sena , Aconcagua, Chile, 2008 Sassicaia , Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy 2009 Cullen 'Diana Madeline' , Margaret River, Western Australia, 2009 Domaine de Chevalier , Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France, 2009 Ridge Monte Bello , Santa Cruz, California, USA, 2009 Carmen Gold Reserve , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Estates tasting Tim Atkin MW Santa Rita Estates tasting The tasting list included: Chateau Pontet Canet , Paulliac, Bordeaux, France, 2008 Te Mata Coleraine, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon , Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008 Petaluma Cabernet Merlo t, Coonawarra, South Australia, 2008 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2008 Sena , Aconcagua, Chile, 2008 Sassicaia , Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy 2009 Cullen 'Diana Madeline' , Margaret River, Western Australia, 2009 Domaine de Chevalier , Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France, 2009 Ridge Monte Bello , Santa Cruz, California, USA, 2009 Carmen Gold Reserve , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Casa Real , Alto Jahuel, Maipo, Chile, 2010 Santa Rita Estates tasting Santa Rita Estates tasting Brian Croser Santa Rita Estates tasting Santa Rita Estates winemaker dinner: Aperitif wine: Dona Paula Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Starter: Sea bass Ceviche, dressed with avocado, chilli, tomato and coriander Wine: Santa Rita Medalle Real Chardonnay 2011 Main course: Fillet of beef with a smoked pepper essence, grilled seasonal vegetables, Yuca gratin topped wtih a platain crisp Wines: Carmen Winemakers Carmenere 2009 Dona Paula Alluvia Parcel Malbec 2009 Cheese course: A selection of British cheese Wines: Santa Rita Case Real Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Nativa Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010