Results from the 2025 Nationals – Cabernet Sauvignon

Announcing the Results from the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada

The 2025 Nationals took place in Penticton from June 21st to 25th. Today, we are pleased to announce the winners in the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot categories.. Category results will be rolling out throughout the rest of July, concluding with the Winery of the Year announcement on August 1st. We hope that you will stay tuned to follow the results!

Cabernet Sauvignon

Category Overview by Judge Geoffrey Moss, MW

Go straight to the winners.

The Cabernet Sauvignon category continues to resist easy generalization. The only obvious conclusion – and it’s not particularly groundbreaking – is that it’s stubbornly vintage dependent. The 2020 vintage, which was excellent for Bordeaux reds in both British Columbia and Ontario, has been responsible for 23 gold/platinum medals over the years (at least by my count). Other recent vintages are less showstopping:

2019 vintage – 6 gold/platinum medals
2020 vintage – 23 gold/platinum medals
2021 vintage – 1 gold medal
2022 vintage – 7 gold medals, with more entries certainly to come

It reinforces that vintage matters, perhaps more so for late-ripening Cabernet than any other variety in the country. This year, only 51% of entries earned a medal, illustrating the intrinsic variability in quality. But it’s hard to argue that growers shouldn’t make a go of it when you taste the top examples.

Interestingly, there’s still not one region or province that leads over the others. This year, the 8 gold medal winners are evenly split between British Columbia and Ontario, spread across 5 different regions. It’s fantastic to see Lake Erie North Shore recognized with 2 golds, from Sprucewood Shores (a steal at $21.95) and a long-favourite Muscedre. Niagara also saw golds from Lakeview Wine Co. (another steal at $21.95) and Jackson Triggs.

The Mission Hill 2022 Terroir Collection Cabernet Sauvignon – my top-rated wine in the category – shows the potential of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Okanagan Valley. Here, Cabernet thrives on west-facing sites – like Osoyoos East Bench (Moon Cursor), on the border with the United States, and Skaha Bench (Blasted Church), further north near Penticton – where it basks in long, sun-soaked afternoons. And winemakers like Jeff Del Nin will say the Similkameen has even greater potential, well-exemplified by Plume. I continue to say I’m bullish about Cabernet Sauvignon in the Okanagan and Similkameen. These wines show why – even if I’m waiting for the bull run.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there are some smart buys among the award-winners. The price restricts the winemaking, avoiding some of the common issues we see in the category. There’s still a tendency for too much. Too much ripeness, too much extraction, and too much oak. The gold medal winners strike the right balance, while feeling true to where they’re grown.

It’s not just Cabernet for the sake of Cabernet. And that is why this category continues to be one of my favourites to judge.

And the winners are…