Cape Mentelle's Cabernet Sauvignon under the guidance of Rob Mann has become one of Australia's most prestigious Cabernet's. Sourced from what many believe to be the true home to Cabernet in Australia, the Margaret River, Cape Mentelle produce a wine that has a plush full-flavoured palate of concentrated blackcurrants and mulberries with a minerally spine. Richly textured and vibrant the palate finishes long with fine yet firm gravelly tannins. A superb candidate for some medium to long term cellaring.
Cape Mentelle Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This wonderfully elegant Shiraz shows intense, pristine, blackberry fruit and ripe, silky tannins. It almost has a Pinot Noir elegance to it and, luckily, the quality of future vintages will only be getting better too as Voyager's new clones come on line.
Vanya Cullen is relentless in her pursuit of excellence and commitment to low-yielding, biodynamically managed vineyards. This wine is 54% Petit Verdot and 46% Malbec from the Mangan Vineyard. It's deep red in colour, and vibrant purple/crimson at the rim. The nose combines mulberry, violets and roses. On the palate it's rich and intense with satsuma plum flavours complemented by fine-grained tannins. Long and full flavoured, it has all the signs of developing greater complexity with age.
A high quality wine from the first whiff of the bouquet through to the long finish...has a tapestry of flavours from the base of Cabernet...all supported by persistent but ripe tannins, the oak absorbed by the fruit. Winning the prestigious Decanter International Trophy, we snaffled as much of this wine as we could. Very limited.
'The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon, which is still tightly wound, the black berry and currant fruit compressed into a solid block while its secondary dark chocolate characters are now powering out of the glass. If you open this now you are going to need a dinosaur steak to stand up to it, but wait another five to 10 years and you'll see something else.' - Adelaide Advertiser, 20 Sep 2014, by Tony Love. 'Full-on blackberry and blackcurrant fruit strikes from the first sniff of this opulent and intense McLaren Vale cabernet. The fruit intensity on the nose and palate is extraordinary, revealing so much depth and concentration. Plenty of French and American oak, and the tannins have a nice suppleness.' 96/100. - Weekend West, Perth, 24 Aug 2013, by Ray Jordan.
Almost blood red, this is a Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz in motion, changing and shifting from red scents of currants and cranberries to the black fruits of plum compote and black cherries, before a touch of cedar, leafy herbs and powdery black spices freshen the finish. The wine has a coolness that belies its power. The expression is as restrained as it is muscular. Richly layered, the fruit completes the structure. Underneath theres an umami earthiness, like scents of camping in the woods. Impeccably balanced. Savour with a rosemary pepper beef rib roast with porcini jus.
The citrus rind and grapefuit lead the palate to an overall fine yet textural journey. Cape Mentelle Chardonnay had this distinctive minerally line too, apparent with focussed refreshing acidity. Faint nuancesof soft nougat and cashews also add to what is a harmonious balance and an elegant and length finish.
Margaret River is an under appreciated region for Australian Shiraz, and it's hard to see why with Cape Mentelle's Shiraz showing a vibrant core of blueberry, mulberry and hints of raspberry. It is well balanced with cocoa and savoury oak. The palate yet, is fine, elegant and focussed, finishing with chalky and structural tannins.
A stunning wine! A true gem, this classy Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon belies its mid range price with equal parts power and elegance. Intense fruit, sublime oak, majestic structure. We fell in love!