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Cape Mentelle

In the Margaret River region of Western Australia lies Cape Mentelle, a leading producer of the region, and one of the first wineries to be established here. The vineyards are located between the town of Margaret River and Cape Mentelle itself, and were planted by Mark and David Hoehnen, the latter perhaps better known for having subsequently established Cloudy Bay Vineyards, in 1970. This was followed by the construction of a winery in 1977, and over the last two decades the estate has grown considerably, and now has vineyard holdings of over 90 hectares. With the addition of fruit bought in from nearby growers the winery crushes over 1000 tonnes of fruit during a single vintage. Despite the size of the operation, however, there has been no loss of quality, and whenever I have had the opportunity to taste the wines of Cape Mentelle there have always been at least some that have given pleasure. Today this still seems to hold true despite a change in ownership and leadership; in 2003 both Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay were taken over by LVMH, and founder David Hoehnen gave way to Tony Jordan. Jordan now holds the position of CEO at not only Cape Mentelle but also Cloudy Bay in New Zealand and at Domaine Chandon Australia, at Green Point in the Yarra Valley.

The Margaret River region is special because it enjoys a maritime climate, surrounded as it is by water on three sides. To the north is Geographe Bay, to the west the Indian Ocean with the Southern Ocean to the south. This maritime location, together with the cooling Leeuwin current which runs along the coast, results in mild, wet winters with warm, sometimes hot summers, the overall climate being cooler when compared with Australia's long established wine regions in South Australia and New South Wales, such as the Barossa and Hunter Valleys.

I have always found the Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot blend, together with the straight Cabernet Sauvignon, to be the two most impressive wines coming from Cape Mentelle. Fruit for the blend is sourced from the estate’s Trinders Vineyard and three trusted contract growers within the Margaret River region. The soils in the majority of these vineyards are gravel loam over sandy clay sub-soil. The use of skin contact varies as the wine is made from a number of batches of fruit, ranging from four days to four weeks. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, after which it is matured in a mixture of French and American oak barrels for 15 months, of which perhaps a third are new. The final blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with figures for the 1999 vintage being Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) , with less Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot (1%) - a classic Bordeaux blend.

The fruit for the Cabernet Sauvignon, rightly regarded as the flagship wine of the estate, comes from the Wallcliffe Vineyard, planted between 1970 and 1973. Again the soils are gravelly with clay sub-soil, with some trickle irrigation installed. The grapes are destemmed and left to macerate before fermentation with again up to four weeks of skin contact. Malolactic fermentation is encouraged prior to racking into oak barrels, of which a greater proportion (three-quarters) are new Nevers, Allier and Tronçais oak. The wine is matured in barrel for 21 months prior to blending and bottling. A coarse filter is the only pre-bottling treatment. There are a number of other notable wines, including a Shiraz and Zinfandel, a rather heavily oaked Chardonnay which I have not always found to my taste, but also a dry Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend which can be very refreshing. Picking and choosing, there are certainly good wines, of a variety of styles, on offer here. (11/07/01, updated 19/5/07)

Contact details:
Address: Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River, Western Australia
Telephone: +61 (0) 8 9757 0888
Fax: +61 (0) 8 9757 3233
Internet: www.capementelle.com.au

Cape Mentelle - Tasting Notes

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Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (Margaret River) 2007: This is an old friend, although not in this vintage; the last I tasted was the 2005. There is a touch of methylpyrazine to the nose, which has a very brisk and typical style. It is lively, yet rich and fleshy, and fairly substantial in the mouth. Overall though it is rather soft in composition, and it has a rather flat finish. A bit short, too. It is good, though. From a tasting with Woodwinters. 15/20 (November 2008)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 2006: Another old favourite from Western Australia, this is the old Trinders blend and although I believe it is still sourced from that vineyard the name no longer appears on the label. It has a toffee-tinged red fruit on the nose, and is still showing some evident oak. Nicely poised on the palate, fresh and stylish, elegant and in possession of good balance. Reserved, with clean ripe fruit, but more filled out in the midpalate, this is really appealing, and should do nicely in the cellar for a year or two. From a tasting with Woodwinters. 16.5+/20 (November 2008)

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Margaret River) 2005: Pungently rich, grassy and vibrant, with more than a hint of methylpyrazines. Crisp. very fresh, with a touch of cream from the Semillon. Not a great intensity of flavour to match the impact found on the nose though. But nicely fresh. 15/20 (November 2006)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 2004: A nice colour, with lots of young Syrah fruit, presented in a sweet and attractive style. Lots of structure, and a pleasing raft of cool fruit, backed up by plentiful grip. Good acidity. This is really rather nice, and could be quite stylish and elegant given some cellar time. 16.5+/20 (November 2006)

Cape Mentelle Chardonnay (Margaret River) 2003: A rather restrained but nevertheless undeniable buttery-nutty style here. Despite this it has some freshness on the palate, with a crisp, rather green style of fruit. There is a nice creaminess to the texture, but not the flavour one might hope for, just a little almond butter. Firm acids. Decent, but nothing more than that. 13.5/20 (November 2006)

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Margaret River) 2003: Bottled under screwcap. Very pale. A ripe pear and stone fruit nose, with a little grapefruit twist and occasional little nuances of wet stone minerality. Firm, balanced, structured palate. Delightfully fresh citrus acidity. Mouthfilling, just a hint of rounded creaminess but on the whole it is vibrant, tingly wine with a good depth of flavour. Will improve, but best drunk over the next few years. Very good. 15.5+/20 (September 2004)

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Margaret River) 2002: A vibrant hue with a hint of green. Waxed lemon cheesecake on the nose, the lanolin aromas of Semillon much more obvious than the Sauvignon at first. With air it does show more grassy, grapefruity character though. Full, creamy, with a little weight and plentiful acidity. Green fruit flavour trimmed with lemon. Flavoursome stuff. 16/20 (September 2004)

Cape Mentelle Shiraz (Margaret River) 2002: A deep colour, with some sweet fruit on the nose, with a rather confected character. Notes of caramel and burnt marshmallow too, most probably related to toasting of the oak. Nicely textured, quite well defined, with lots of fruit, and a ripe, velvety structure beneath it. This has potential, and needs cellar time. Likely to offer good value drinking. 16+/20 (November 2006)

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Margaret River) 2000: This is a very pale, white-gold wine. The nose is dominated by the Semillon, despite this being a 50/50 blend. Fresh pears lead the way, although there are also some nettle and asparagus notes more typical of Sauvignon. As with the 1999, tasted late last year, the palate is a combination of Semillon weight and roundness with fresh, zesty Sauvignon acidity. This wine is still very tight, austere and unyielding, however, and I feel it would benefit from a further six to twelve months bottle age. 16.5/20 (July 2001)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 2000: A very dense and pure nose here, with a wealth of ripe, very primary fruit. A svelte palate, with great depth, and just brimming with potential. Very nice, attractive presence. There is good grip and structure beneath it all too. It needs 5-8 years, and should be fine thereafter. 17.5+/20 (November 2006)

Cape Mentelle Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (Margaret River) 1999: A deliciously clean and fresh nose, with a good intensity of aroma. On the palate there is a lovely Sauvignon streak of acidity, married with a weight derived from the Semillon. Lovely fruit. Palate remains clean right through to the finish. I'm not normally a fan of Sauvignon based wines from warm regions (Margaret River is 'cool climate', but only relatively speaking), but this one I like. 16/20 (December 2000)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 1999: An intense red-purple hue immediately suggests this is a young wine. The nose is loaded with rich fruits - sweet pastille-like blackcurrants, with a stony, mineral suggestion, as well as ripe damsons and plums. There are nuances of smoke and coffee that sometimes come with young Cabernet. The palate is similarly packed with fruit, with a creamy texture evident from the forepalate onwards. Through the midpalate an oak-derived spicy, toffee-creamy richness, which persists through to the finish. There is a supporting backbone of firm but deliciously ripe tannins, with moderate acidity, making this a very approachable wine even at this stage in its development. Some length. Undoubtedly has the structure for future development, over the short term at least. 16.5/20 (July 2001)

Cape Mentelle Chardonnay (Margaret River) 1998: Some complex aromas here, a pleasant smoky note mixed with lemons, tropical fruit and a good dollop of oak. Lovely acidity on the palate, with a lemony quality as the nose would suggest. More tropical fruit, but not overt or blowsy, and that smoky element again. Delicious weight and texture. The best Australian Chardonnay that I tasted at the Australian Wine Bureau, and one of the best I can recall. 16.5/20 (December 2000)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 1998: From the Trinders Vineyard. An elegant yet fruit-laden nose. On the palate, richly textured and smoky berry fruit is backed by firm, not yet integrated tannins. Needs some time to come together, but I don't think the fruit here will have any problems while the tannins harmonise. Will be superb in a few years, and excellent value. 17+/20 (December 2000)

Cape Mentelle Shiraz (Margaret River) 1998: A nose laden with Shiraz black fruit and black pepper. Another palate, like the Cabernet Merlot, with a strong presence of tannin. Packed with delightful fruit, with some spice and pepper. Big, high alcohol wine, with sufficient acidity for aging. Another wine that will be stunning. 17+/20 (December 2000)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 1997: This wine shows some maturity, with light bricking of an otherwise garnet red hue. Roasted vegetable aromas, but still some red fruits in the background, also smoky liquorice. It has a fairly firm, rounded texture, and plenty of acidity. Deliciously sweet, roasted plum fruit, with a soft tannic backbone. Perhaps a little disjointed towards the finish. Drink up. From an Australian Cabernet tasting. 15.5/20 (February 2003)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Margaret River) 1997: An appealing mahogany-tawny hue to this wine which, although less vibrant, is somewhat denser in colour than the '99. Certainly a more mature wine on the nose, with notes of rolled tobacco and cigar box, with a fading note of toffee, alongside the blackcurrant fruit aromas. The palate is rounder and softer than the previous wine, with much more advanced integration of the oak-derived flavours. Still a sweetness to the fruit, and the same backbone of ripe tannins is there, but with molasses, cigar box and moist tobacco complexities. With extended aeration the wine really comes together into a seamless integration of tannins, fruit and acidity, which lead into a more impressive, savoury length. This is a very stylish wine, and is indicative of the quality coming from the Margaret River region. 17/20 (July 2001)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 1996: Bottle #1: A fantastically rich nose, packed with obvious fruit, violets and chocolate. The stunning intensity of aromas here really made me stop and smile. Strange, therefore, that the palate seems so unimpressive when the nose is so open. I probably would have passed it by, but it was suggested that the wine was corked, and although the taint was too subtle for me to spot we all know that TCA can kill fruit. So another bottle was opened. Bottle #2: Less fruity, mouldy, vegetal nose. Even I could spot this one. Two corked bottles in a row, but seeing past the TCA in bottle #1 this wine should have been stunning. Not rated. (December 2000)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 1995: Deep but maturing colour. Some volatility at first, which blows off to reveal a meaty nose of crushed blackcurrant, tapenade and stale coffee grounds. Full bodied, rather creamy style, with a ripe, supple tannic backbone. Macerated-stewed blackcurrant fruit and black olive character. There is plenty of substance here, and the structure for another five years (and probably the same again) in the cellar, although I don't envisage great complexity appearing during that time. Nicely demonstrates the success of 1995 in the Margaret River region. Very good. From a 1995 vintage ten years on tasting. 17+/20 (December 2005)

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 1995: This is a dense, inky, purple-black wine. There is a delightful mineral and stone sidekick to the ripe yet elegant blackcurrant fruit that dominates the nose, with nuances of smoke, freshly ground coffee and liquorice. On entry the palate is fat, richly textured and loaded with fruit. This fruit persists throughout the palate, but mixture of spice, pepper and ripe, delicious tannins come into play on the midpalate. The oak seems very well integrated, but the tannins become more predominant towards the endpalate. A big, tannic finish, although the overall effect is moderated by the fat, creamy fruit. Considerable, spicy length. This wine has bags of potential, and needs between three and five years in bottle to come around. 17.5+/20 (July 2001)

Cape Mentelle Zinfandel (Margaret River) 1994: A deep, dark red-black colour. Sumptuous berry fruit on the nose, with black cherry character. Rich and velvety fruit on the palate, which has a fat, rounded texture. There's plenty of fresh acidity and spicy, peppery tannins. 16/20 (June 2002)