Unmatched Excellence Dominating the Category for the 9th Consecutive Year
Margaret River, Australia (August 10, 2023) – Xanadu, one of three family-owned wineries managed by Australia’s Rathbone Wine Group, continued to reign supreme at the 2023 National Wine Show of Australia with an unprecedented 9th consecutive win as Australia’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2019 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon garnered this year’s trophy, solidifying Xanadu as a preeminent producer of superior Australian Cabernet.
The recognition received at the National Press Club in Canberra elevates Xanadu’s trophy count to 136, of which Xanadu’s Cabernet Sauvignon wines have won an impressive 68 trophies and 168 gold medals across all wine shows entered since 2007.
Xanadu was one of the first wineries established in Margaret River, Australia, and one of the first in the region to achieve sustainability certification. Led by Darren Rathbone, CEO and Chief Winemaker at Rathbone Wine Group, and Senior Winemaker Glenn Goodall, Xanadu has long been the benchmark for top-quality wines with varietal and regional integrity in Western Australia. The National Wine Show of Australia has been a cornerstone of the Australian wine Industry since it began in 1975, organized and judged by Australia’s most tenured wine industry leaders, winemakers, and executives. Now with a rigorous pre-qualification program, only wines that have won gold or silver medals at one of 32 qualifying shows are accepted for judging. Consequently, the National Wine Show is more competitive than ever before and represents the best of the best Australian wines.
“We are thrilled, and to be honest quite humbled, to have won the Cabernet Sauvignon Trophy again. To have received this award for the ninth year in a row, with nine different wines, is quite incredible! The achievement highlights the strength of Margaret River Cabernet and the ongoing effort and commitment from the entire team at Xanadu, as well as acknowledging the excellence of our dedicated growers,” said Glenn Goodall, Senior Winemaker at Xanadu.
This year’s win as Australia’s Best Cabernet reaffirms Xanadu’s unrivalled position as Australia’s preeminent producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Glenn Goodall and his devoted winemaking team have prevailed yet again in representing the extraordinary quality of wines and embodying the true spirit of the stunning Margaret River region.
“We believe in the potential of Margaret River as one of Australia’s greatest wine regions, driven by our passion for Cabernet Sauvignon,” stated Darren Rathbone, CEO of Rathbone Wine Group, owners of Xanadu. Considered the king of Margaret River, Cabernet Sauvignon has been essential in establishing a celebrated reputation for the Western Australian wine region where beautiful sea breezes create a long, dry growing season and buy weeks of ripening time on the vines. Regional characteristics which yield velvety tannins with vivid red and black fruit character for which Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon is known.
About Xanadu
Xanadu is a family-owned and operated winery, one of the first wineries established in Margaret River, Australia. It is also one of the first to achieve sustainability certification and has long set the standard on top-quality wines with varietal and regional integrity. The Rathbone family purchased Xanadu in 2005, recognizing its rare combination of premiere viticulture, winemaking and hospitality in one of the country’s most important wine regions. Senior Winemaker Glenn Goodall, the 2023 Halliday Winemaker of the Year, has crafted Xanadu wines for over 20 years and works closely with viticulturist Rob Underdown to improve quality and better showcase the brilliance of the vineyard with each new growing season. Their meticulous dedication to quality has borne abundant results in the way of awards and recognition since 2007.
