Margaret River’s Cape Mentelle is bringing its signature International Cabernet Tasting back to the east coast for the first time in 15 years.

Taking place at Watersedge at Campbell’s Stores with views of Sydney Harbour, this annual benchmark tasting is a hallmark event on the Australian wine calendar, featuring a lineup of some of the world’s finest cabernet labels.

Tickets include a blind tasting across three brackets of local and global Cabernet with commentary from key Australian wine media before all is revealed at the end. The tasting is then followed by a Champagne palate cleanser, before guests sit down for a long lunch expertly paired with the wines from the tasting.

The Cape Mentelle International Cabernet Tasting is one of Australia’s longest running international wine benchmark tastings, established in 1982 by Cape Mentelle founder David Hohnen.

The tasting initially began as a process to help Hohnen finesse each vintage by benchmarking his own releases against globally recognised expressions. Today, the tasting has expanded to invite wine lovers to join the Cape Mentelle team to taste and benchmark Cabernet from across the world alongside home-grown examples from the same vintage.

Moulton said: “I’m excited to bring this much-loved wine tasting experience back to Sydney for the first time since 2011.

“Each year, the tasting reveals the ever-evolving landscape of cabernet sauvignon, as seen through the lens of some of the world’s best winemakers. Not only do we see how our own Cabernet is looking against an array of other Australian releases, but we get to see how Margaret River Cabernet continues to define itself against regions from around the world. I can’t wait to see what the tasting unveils.”

While the exact 2026 lineup remains shrouded in secrecy until the final reveal, guests can anticipate an exceptional showcase of benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting will feature iconic Australian expressions alongside cult-status international producers from Italy (including famed Super Tuscans), the US, New Zealand, and France.

Adding to the event’s prestige, this year offers Australia’s exclusive first look at the acclaimed 2023 Bordeaux vintage prior to its official local arrival. Featuring stellar examples from First and Second Growth producers, attendees will enjoy a preview of a widely applauded vintage destined for strictly limited allocation nationwide.

Tickets for the event are now on sale on the Cape Mentelle website for $750 per person. Learn more here.