Cape Mentelle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

This wine was amazing. Decanted off sediment and had a strong herbal aroma with some underlying fruit. After an hour, tasted the wine and it was very good but the fruit was still in the background. The group I was with was more Cali cab than Bordeaux and this definitely leaned towards Bordeaux with the herbaceous notes. Took 1/2 bottle home and 6 hours after opening tasted again and what a transformation. Tannins are high but very ripe and smooth. …

2004 vintage

In late 2020 Cape Mentelle did a bit of a thing with various wine writers to celebrate the existential pleasures of architecture. They provided the lucky journalists with samples of the 1983, 1992, 2004, 2009 and 2014 vintages and a jolly good slamming was had by all, fueled by Cape Mentelle. I bought this vintage at auction around this time and have been a slow trying it against the article I snipped out of the paper. This was from a …

2004 vintage

Young yet savoury and built for ageing. Good length, smooth, firm tannins, integrated acidity. All the elements are in balance.

2015 vintage

Over 2 nights. Young, fruit forward. No real development yet. Nice wine, if a touch simple at present. Hold 2-3y before trying again. Something like 91-94

2015 vintage

Screwcap closure and from a smart vintage in Margaret River - this wine was dark and had a slight brick colour but by no means approaching secondary colour and or fruit. Dense dark plums, berries with the typical eucalyptus nose. Lovely fine tannins showed plenty of life in this wine - enjoy now or cellar for another 5 years with ease.

2004 vintage

Australian Wine Far from Ordinary Trade Tasting, San Francisco, black fruit, slightly floral nose, lovely fruit, rich fruit, paired with steak and went well, big wine, long finish.

2015 vintage

In the decanter for 2 hours prior to drinking. Beautiful upfront fruit driven nose, blackcurrent, black cherries and cassis, tertiary cedar notes coming through too. This is really fun to drink, however the finish was a tad short. Holding up well, drink over the next 5 years.

2004 vintage

Medium to full intensity of colouring on this, holding close to rim. Classic minty Oz Cabernet nose with plenty of black fruit. Very full on the palate, singing with sweet, ripe fruit and that mintiness. Good acidity and still plenty of tannin but nicely ripe. Really plush wine with great finish and length. Perhaps it could be slightly more complex but it's very lovely, an up market crowd pleaser. Lots of time left on this. Tasted alongside the Gruaud Larose …

2004 vintage

A medium red with edges bricking, Old school Bordeaux nose of tea leaves, leather, but green, mature and lovely balance but lacking complexity and a mid palate, short 89

2004 vintage

This was a bit of a let down for me, especially as I've held it for many years and was really looking forward to it. I just seemed a bit austere on the palate - it lacked vibrancy. Mind you, it will live for at least another decade without a problem. Blackberries, cassis, pencil, mint (quite a bit), chocolate, cedar. Very dark fruited. Powdery, drying tannins. Just lacked a bit of length and X-factor that great cabernets have.

2004 vintage

After about an hour in the decanter, it was fabulous. Ready to drink and complex. A touch of mint and spices.

2004 vintage

Was to be used as a tasting wine for the 2015 AGM but was not in the box! A pity!

2004 vintage

AGM tasting wine 2015. Will be interesting to see it against an earlier vintage.

2002 vintage

Net terribly complex, but a very good , mature Australian cab.

2002 vintage

Unfortunately, unlike the previous two, this bottle was corked. Cork smell dissipated somewhat with time for the wine to become drinkable but never got into enjoyable territory.Too bad, as wine in this bottle seemed younger(at least by color) than other two bottles.

2002 vintage

Well balanced and mature, smooth cherry and plum , leather and earth.

2004 vintage

Intriguing cabernet. Not as heavy as I expected and. Lovely balance.

2004 vintage

[dinner for graham r, perth]

2004 vintage

Aggressive aromas of sawdust, clove, dried spices, eucalyptus and cedar lead into a supple palate of red currant, plum and blackberry with creamy vanilla and a sour cherry finish. Drinking beautifully.

2002 vintage

Good wine, very much in Bordeaux style. That said, two things of note - stong fruit (it's Australian) and also a slightly jutting acidity which I've noticed running through many MR reds.

2004 vintage

only bottle I have and I fear I have consumed too early- heavy tannins still evident .

2002 vintage

Nice fruit, leather,pencil lead, eucalyptus. Typical australian cab sav.

2004 vintage

NobleRottersSydney - Margaret River 5-star wineries (Alio's, Surry Hills) : [cork, 14.5%] {guest J-P} And the signature blend of the region reappears at last. Classic nose it is too, with that ripe blend of asparagus and cassis, dark green and black intertwining together. Quite pungent, and definitely aging, with herb – basil, thyme – garnishing the bouquet. On the palate that dark green/eucaplyt tinge is apparent, although not to excess. It remains a dry, rather astringent palate, with chalky tannins, …

2002 vintage

Oinofiloi Tasting: Greece v The World. Clear medium ruby, slight bricking on a thin garnet rim. Clean nose of medium - intensity. Fruit: blackberries, cassis, non decsript herbs, leather, oaky vanilla & medicinal notes followed by ink against an earthy background. Dry medium bod, medium minus tannins, medium acidity & abv. Good fruit (more red fruit than on nose), integrated oak, medium length. Balanced, developed & may improve.

2004 vintage

D: Typisk aussie-CS med eukalyptus/mynta. S: Ganska frisk syra, lång smak. Mer tanniner än provningens cab från Coonawarra och Yarra.

2004 vintage

Very much agree with Goldstone's note, both on description and on assessment of drinkability (wait...). Lots and lots of potential here, but should benefit greatly from a few more years in the bottle.

2004 vintage

YES PLEASE. I have been a big fan of Cape Mentelle for years (have drunk loads of the CB-Merlot). The OZ-CB problem (namely, that it all tastes blackberry juice) is mostly avoided by Cape M, partly I think because they are french owned (Veuve Cliquot). I am not sure what they do, it may be the french oak used, but there is a much more Bordeaux feel to these wines (than most OZ reds have); they feel like they have …

2002 vintage

Received as a gift from a friend who had bought it at the cellar door. Still a very primary, totally opaque deep red/blackish colour. A gorgeous perfumed but austere nose that shouts pencil lead....very steely, minerally and refined. Very Pauillac style palate of austere grace with deep black fruit framed very precisely by firm but powdered tannin and distinct acidity. It is velvet on the front end but quickly slips into bitter espresso and then comes out as mouth-drying pistachios …

2004 vintage

Bright but dark red. Forward, with lots of earth and cedar, then remarkably bright and downright green on the palate. The green streak here is remarkable even for the cooler appellation, in fact. Develops to show green pepper and some black pepper, as well as a chunk of readily perceived tannin. I'm on a fence with this one; while normally I am tolerant of green notes, here the overall character/weight of the wine is forward and ripe, which makes the …

2002 vintage

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Cape Mentelle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

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