Casillero Cabernet leaps into top spot

Casillero del Diablo’s Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon has seen UK sales shoot up by 60% in the last year, making it this market’s best-selling expression of the grape variety.

Reporting a rise from 244,000 to 390,000 nine-litre cases in the 52 weeks to the end of February 2015 (Nielsen), Casillero del Diablo set this against a wider uplift for Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, which showed 14.6% growth over the same period. By contrast, France, the second largest player in this varietal category posted a UK decline of -0.6%.

The news sees the Concha y Toro-owned brand leapfrog Australia’s Wolf Blass into the top spot for Cabernet Sauvignon just six months after Casillero del Diablo announced that it had entered the UK’s top 10-selling wine brands for the first time. The Chilean brand also claims the highest average bottle price of its fellow top 10 peers.

This growth marks a significant step towards the declared ambition of Concha y Toro to double its UK business to 10 million cases by 2019. In addition to the growth enjoyed by Casillero del Diablo, the group’s Cono Sur brand has been riding high on its partnership with the Tour de France and is currently the UK’s biggest selling Pinot Noir. Meanwhile Argentine subsidiary Trivento recently moved into top spot for Malbec in this market.

Welcoming this latest milestone, Concha y Toro’s UK marketing director Clare Griffiths said: “We are delighted that Casillero del Diablo is the best selling Cabernet Sauvignon in the UK off-trade. We will continue to build the brand in the UK market with our customers and consumers by having award winning marketing campaigns and consistent quality wines.”

Looking ahead, Griffiths highlighted the major sponsorship deal signed by Casillero del Diablo with Sky Movies in the UK, supported by “extensive in-store activity” as she confirmed an ambition to “drive further brand growth, category value and overall household penetration.”