Home Winners > Winners 2017 > NEW WORLD: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz blends

Winner Details

 New World: Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blends

2017 Gold: 1 Silver: 2 Bronze: 1 Commended: 3
2016 Gold: 1 Silver: 2 Bronze: 1 Commended: 2

 

That classic Cab/Shiraz combination now seems slightly dated. While our tasters regularly enjoy the juicy style and excellent value for money, they’re always slightly bemused by the dearth of entries. There’s clearly a place for it… if the merchants are prepared to back it.


FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘I enjoyed this flight a lot. It was interesting at the entry level and offered good quality for the price.’ Dario Barbato, Individual Restaurants

‘These wines were reflecting typicity and value across the range. You could put any of these on a list and it would sell and people would be happy to drink it.’ Neil Tabraham, Paris House

Award winners

Found 7 wines

New World: Cabernet & Shiraz

Willunga 100, Cabernet/Shiraz 2015, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia

Gold medal winner Food Match

As it walked away with both a Gold medal and a Food Match Trophy, Neil Tabraham of Paris House praised this red blend’s ‘crunchy black fruits, chewy tannins with cassis and a chocolate richness on the finish’, while Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants found ‘blackcurrant aromas with spicy and toasty notes, and the tannins are there, but rounded and not too aggressive’. Jamavar’s Alessandro de Angelis described a ‘menthol aroma, with a lively, fragrant palate and a lovely floral finish’, while WineEd’s Matthew Cocks appreciated its ‘elegant style, with a plush mid-palate and peppery finish, making it a match for a pepper-crusted flank steak’.

£9.08 Liberty Wines

Undurraga, Aliwen, Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2015, Maule Valley, Chile

Silver medal winner

‘Ripe red fruit aromas with hints of tomato leaf and green coffee,’ said Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants, also noting its ‘soft tannins and good, lingering finish’, while team leader Olivier Marie enjoyed its ‘great varietal character of black berries with rustic bramble notes, hints of chocolate with dark cacao beans and tonka beans, and good complexity’.

£7.50 Eurowines

Henschke, Barossa, Keyneton Euphonium 2013, South Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

‘Warm and spicy fruit style, cassis and blueberry with cedar and pencil lead notes, complex on the palate with great menthol character and structure,’ said an impressed Neil Tabraham of Paris House, with team leader Olivier Marie noting a ‘well-made wine with a sense of place, minty eucalyptus freshness with chocolatey richness on the finish’.

£25.04 Enotria&Coe

Wirra Wirra, The Good Catch 2014, South Australia, Australia

Bronze medal winner

This was good value, and a ‘spicy, crowd-pleasing wine’, according to team leader Simon Woods. WineEd’s Matthew Cocks appreciated the typicity demonstrated by this blend, describing notes of ‘smoke and black fruit’, while Dario Barbato of Individual Restaurants enjoyed it as an ‘easy wine, with pleasant black berry Cabernet character’.

£6.68 Majestic Commercial

Heartland, Spice Trader 2013, Langhorne Creek, South Australia, Australia

Commended medal winner

£9.25 Enotria&Coe

Bisquertt, Q Clay 2013, Colchagua Valley, Chile

Commended medal winner

£13.16 Molson Coors

Soul Tree, Reserve, Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Nasik Valley, India

Commended medal winner