The Halliday Wine Companion Awards celebrate the best wines in Australia. Below you'll find Australia's top cabernet and blends, along with the wine ratings awarded by the Tasting Team.
This category was previously known as Cabernet & Family. It’s now dedicated solely to cabernet-dominant blends, partly out of respect for the glory of cabernet when it’s in the driver’s seat of a blend, and partly as an attempt to judge wines in a more like-for-like setting (in the context that, once you enter the realm of blends, it’s often impossible to do so). The 2022 release of Mount Mary Quintet is superb; this category, as a whole, is full of cellar-worthy treasures.
2025 Cabernet and Blends of the Year
Mount Mary Quintet 2022, Yarra Valley
98 points | Price when tasted $205
A blend of 47/28/15/6/4 per cent cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/petit verdot/malbec. Fermented with whole berries and at different temperatures, depending on the variety. All varieties are matured in both barriques and 1600L foudres for 12 months then racked into barriques (35% new) for another 10 months before blending and bottling. A deep, bright, crimson ruby. Brooding with classic dark cherries, blackcurrant, iodine, violets and fresh lead pencil shavings. Saturates the palate without being remotely heavy. The tannins are muscular, very persistent and in perfect harmony with the fruit. A magnificent wine that will provide enormous enjoyment over the next two decades. – Philip Rich
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Top-rated cabernet & blends from the 2025 Companion
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Bleasdale Vineyards
Inveniam Viam Cabernet Malbec 2019
Langhorne Creek -
Mount Mary
Quintet 2022
Yarra Valley -
Yalumba
The Caley Cabernet Shiraz 2019
Coonawarra Barossa Valley -
Yeringberg
Yeringberg 2022
Yarra Valley -
Cullen Wines
Diana Madeline Wilyabrup 2022
Margaret River -
Dominique Portet
Réserve de Famille Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2021
Yarra Valley -
Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard
The Peake Cabernet Shiraz 2022
McLaren Vale -
Koomilya
Cabernet Touriga 2021
McLaren Vale -
Vasse Felix
Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2020
Margaret River -
Wantirna Estate
Hannah Cabernet Franc Merlot 2021
Yarra Valley -
Wendouree
Cabernet Malbec 2021
Clare Valley -
Yarra Yering
Dry Red Wine No. 1 2022
Yarra Valley -
Dominique Portet
Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2022
Yarra Valley -
Frankland Estate
Olmo's Reward 2021
Frankland River -
Grosset
Gaia 2021
Clare Valley -
Grosset
Gaia 2022
Clare Valley -
Jim Barry Wines
Clarevale Cabernet Malbec 2021
Clare Valley -
Lake Breeze Wines
The Drake Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2019
Langhorne Creek -
Mac Forbes
Hugh Cabernets 2022
Yarra Valley -
Moss Wood
Ribbon Vale Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Margaret River -
Rob Hall Wines
Cabernets 2023
Yarra Valley -
Terre à Terre
Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021
Wrattonbully -
Thousand Candles
Gathering Field Cabernet Franc 2022
Yarra Valley -
Wantirna Estate
Amelia Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021
Yarra Valley -
Wirra Wirra Vineyards
The Holy Thirst Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021
McLaren Vale -
Woodlands
Margaret 2020
Margaret River -
Yarra Edge
Edward Cabernet Sauvignon Franc Merlot 2022
Yarra Valley -
Yarra Yering
Agincourt Cabernet Malbec 2022
Yarra Valley
Learn more about cabernet.
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This is an edited extract from the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Katrina Butler, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW. Cover art by James Coe.
*Panel decision – score awarded by the Halliday Tasting Team at the annual Awards judging.
