Cape Landing is delighted to announce that our flagship Margaret River Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 has been recognised by Decanter Magazine as one of the top four rated wines in Decanter’s ‘Wines of the Year 2021’.
As in previous years, Decanter’s World Wine Awards Regional Chairs, experts, key contributors, and team members from around the world, were asked to nominate the wines that impressed them most in 2021.
An independent panel of leading wine judges, comprising Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Stefan Neumann MS and wine writer Matt Walls, blind tasted and scored the wines entered for Decanter’s ‘Wines of the Year 2021’ over a two-day period in December 2021. Neither wine category or price was revealed to the judges, so all wines were considered purely on a quality basis, with only grape variety and vintage disclosed.
Chris Maillard, Decanter Editor-in-Chief, described the ‘Wines of the Year 2021’ tasting as “Decanter’s best tasting ever”, and went on to say that “Our judges were true experts, and their opinions matched to a highly unusual degree for a blind tasting.” Maillard concluded confirming that from his own sampling of the higher scoring wines at the tasting that “..overall quality was utterly stunning.”
The top 4 highest scored wines at Decanter’s ‘Wines of the Year 2021’ were:
Henschke’s ‘Hill of Grace’ 2016, Eden Valley, South Australia – 99 points (Best Red)
Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Margaret River, Western Australia – 98 points (Best Red)
Dom Pérignon Brut 2008, France – 98 Points (Best Fizz)
Cantina Terlano, Primo Terlaner, Gran Cuvée, Trentino-Alto, Italy 2019 – 98 Points (Best White)
Cape Landing’s Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 was rated 98 Points and ‘Exceptional’, with only Henschke’s ‘Hill of Grace’ 2016 placing a single point higher in the Best Red Wine Class.
Referencing Cape Landing’s Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW noted “Fragrant with notes of dill and rosemary. Loads of blackcurrant mixed with woodsmoke and spice. Acidity adds an element of freshness.” Stefan Neumann MS followed acknowledging that “This is a highly perfumed style. Shows ripeness of dark fruit but it’s not too fruity or intense. Has a remarkable balance of power and concentration yet elegance”. Lastly, Matt Walls summed up “A perfumed, pure Cabernet Sauvignon that feels very Margaret River; elegant, refined, pure. Very silky, velvety, plush, but still fresh and harmonious. Very seductive.”
Collectively the Decanter Judging Panel for ‘Wines of the Year 2021’ recommended cellaring Cape Landing’s Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 between now and 2040.
Mark Lewis, owner and Managing Director of Cape Landing said “Cape Landing is delighted to receive this remarkable accolade from Decanter Magazine and a very distinguished panel of judges. The quality and reputation of the wines reviewed at Decanter’s ‘Wines of the Year 2021’ speak for themselves, and to be mentioned alongside the famous winemakers that produced these wines is incredibly rewarding.”
“This result speaks volumes, not only about the potential of our Margaret River vineyard and the wines we are crafting, but also the fact that Australian wines continue to lead the way. In this case it was Henschke and Cape Landing producing the two highest scoring red wines at Decanter’s ‘Wine of the Year 2021’.”
“The continuing growth, importance, and influence of wines from Margaret River has been gratifying to see. Less than 2% of Australia’s total wine grape crush comes from Margaret River, but the region consistently accounts for over 20% of the premium wines produced in Australia. This was one of the primary reasons why we chose to continue the development of Cape Landing in Margaret River.”
Lewis added, “I really appreciate the ‘team’ aspect of winemaking. The vineyard ecosystem we manage and the wines we produce, especially in times of a global pandemic, are entirely the product of the collective expertise, experience and dedication of our Cape Landing team. My sincere thanks to our Winemakers, Bruce Dukes and Remi Guise, Vineyard Manager, Matt Barling, and Viticulturist, James Harris.”
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Additional Material –
Decanter Magazine ‘Wine of the Year 2021’ (February 2022 edition, published 4 January 2022).
Decanter Premium Review of Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/australia/western-australia/cape-landing-blackwood-cabernet-sauvignon-margaret-river-54202
Cape Landing Website – https://capelanding.com.au/
Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – https://capelanding.com.au/wine/cape-landing-2019-blackwood-cabernet-sauvignon/14287/
About Cape Landing –
Cape Landing is an independent, family-owned vineyard making classic wines in the Margaret River area of Western Australia. Our single vineyard wines are all sourced from an ancient landscape first cleared and farmed by pioneer settlers a century ago during the era of Group Settlement in Margaret River.
We continue to develop a distinctly Australian vineyard that integrates biodiversity with fruit production, allowing us to focus our efforts on both the restoration and maintenance of native species and the plant communities that support the Cape Landing’s ecosystem.
We make a series of classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc wines, all produced from our own picturesque vineyard of gently rolling hills and well drained soils, and a distinctly Mediterranean style climate where wet winters and long warm summers create a perfect environment for making fragrant, textured, wines.
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For more information and photo media, contact:
Mark Lewis
Managing Director, Cape Landing
Email – mark.lewis@capelanding.com.au
Australia – +61 (0)488 006 169
International – +1 345 516 5512
6 January 2022
