Cape Mentelle - Products - 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

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2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

"A playful and vibrant expression of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, backed up with pedigree and longevity." Camille Bru - Winemaker

Cape Mentelle has a rich history of exceptional quality and consistency with Cabernet Sauvignon, from a pioneering producer in Margaret River in the early 1970s to a benchmark winery today. This Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic representation of the site selection, with perfumed varietal notes underpinned by elegant structure and finesse. This vibrant wine embraces the playful side of Cabernet, inviting you in with an immediate drinkability that is backed by pedigree and longevity.

Appearance

Deep ruby.

Nose

The alluring perfumed nose has an abundance of redcurrant, fresh strawberry, cranberry and quince paste, with underlying thyme, blackcurrant leaves and a hint of black truffle.

Palate

This is a delicious and approachable wine with notes of sweet purple plums, cassis, blueberries with a touch of spice and pepper. A wine with great energy and an evolving elegance showing well-integrated tannins and length.

Blend

90% cabernet sauvignon 6% merlot 3% petit verdot 1% cabernet franc

Cellaring

10+ years

Food Pairing Notes

Pan seared duck breast with spring vegetables. Mushroom and spinach tortellini. Beef carpaccio with wild rocket and shaved parmesan.

Show Technical Notes and Reviews

The Vineyard

Vintage 2021 delivered two seasons in one; a cold and wet spring that evolved into a hot and dry summer. February experienced some significant rainfall events that freshened up the canopies for later ripening varieties and allowed for some leaf removal without the risk of sunburn. The mild conditions to finish off the season resulted in fresh natural acidity and fruit with a wonderful depth of flavour. The season was quite humid which created more challenges than the region is accustomed to. Growers reacted with leaf plucking across the reds to improve air flow and some fruit dropping to ensure physiological ripeness was achievable. Those who put in the extra work will no doubt reap the rewards! Our aim with cabernet sauvignon is to deliver grapes that are a true and vibrant expression of the vineyard site, with excellent tannin structure and ripeness. A range of precision viticulture techniques are included in our annual plans for each block, with the focus on canopy manipulation, ensuring air flow and sunlight penetration into the fruit zone.

Winemaking

After destemming, the selected vineyard batches were lightly crushed to closed top fermenters and individually fermented with selected yeasts. Cap management operations were gentle and maceration periods reached up to 25 days. At the desired balance of fruit perfume and soft tannins, each batch was basket pressed, with the pressing wine kept separated. The major portion of the blend was assembled within six months of harvest, allowing the wines and pressings to integrate harmoniously through ageing. The wine was matured in barrel for 15 months with limited racking, 26% new French oak was used to complement the fruit. The final blend remained unfined and was filtered before being Estate bottled in August 2022.

Analysis

13.9% alcohol 5.75 g/l total acidity 3.56 pH Suitable for vegans

The Real Review

Gabrielle Poy

Cocoa nibs and mulberry mix with subtle wafts of smoked meats on the nose. The palate offers intensity yet lightness, the tannins are fine and gliding, it's beautifully bouyant, almost silken. A staircase of tannins unwinds on the finish. This is an exciting cabernet offering instant gratiffication but it also has great potential for aging.

Halliday Wine Companion 2025

Jane Faulkner

A typical Margaret River cabernet with all the enticing aromas and flavours. Mulberries, blackberries and cassis, leafy freshness and some just-picked herbs, plus the more savoury notes of black olive tapenade, nori and licorice. Lots of cedary, toasty oak adding a sweetness and bolstering the tannins, which are a tad drying on the finish. More time in bottle sensible or the right food to enjoy this now.

Ray Jordan Wine

Ray Jordan

Perfumed notes of red fruit engage immediately on the nose. There are scents of rose petal and bay leaf with a little graphite complexity. The palate is firm although there is sweet fruit to balance. Has a distinctive leafy overtone with traces of herbs and cedar. It’s a wine that needs some time to emerge from its shell. An elegant and stylish wine from a cooler vintage. Cellar 17 years.