2023 Cape Mentelle Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River – Western Australia Medium-deep crimson. Fragrant black cherry, hint elderberry, cassis, capsicum aromas with roasted chestnut/vanilla notes. Buoyant pure black cherry, elderberry, blackcurrant flavours, very good mid palate volume, fine-grained cedary tannins and noticeable vanilla, marzipan notes. Finishes long and minerally with seductive sweet fruit notes. Very good modern style but all the elements are still in parts. Best to keep for a while. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot. Drink 2027–2045 2003 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, G 94 Margaret River – Western Australia G 96 Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry pastille, cedar spice, dark chocolate aromas. Supple and inky deep with inky blackberry fruits, chocolaty firm textures and underlying meaty, graphite, tobacco leaf notes. Builds chocolaty and long. Some leafy notes at the finish. An old- fashioned claret style but still showing very good definition and impact. Unmistakably cabernet in character. Drink now–2038 2013 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, G 94 Margaret River – Western Australia Medium-deep crimson. Fresh blackcurrant, espresso, dark chocolate aromas with hints of red fruits and cedarwood. Inky blackcurrant pastille, dark plum fruits, slinky firm textures and underlying roasted chestnut notes. Finishes firm and tight. Lovely volume but acidity dominates at the finish. This should keep and develop. Drink now–2042 1993 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, G 92 Margaret River – Western Australia Medium-deep crimson. Inky blackcurrant cedar aromas with creosote, roasted walnut notes. Well concentrated blackcurrant cherry stone, dark chocolate, roasted walnut/sandalwood, cigar box notes, and sinuous grainy tannins. Finishes chocolaty/soupy with lifted pronounced acidity. Has a sturdy presence, but the structure dominates the fruit. Still drinking well though. Drink now–2035 1983 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, G 90 Margaret River – Western Australia Medium-deep crimson. Black olive, cedar aromas with some dark cassis fruits. A hint of horse manure. Inky deep generous wine with black olive, creosote, black sour cherry flavours, fine grainy touch sinewy tannins, and underlying cedar notes. Firm claret finish. Bretty but still showing claret shape with attractive density and torque. Flawed yet still showing the energy, density and torque that made it stand out over 40 years ago at the Melbourne Wine Show. Jimmy Watson Trophy (1984). While not a high-scoring wine, it remains a historic memento of the David Hohnen era. Drink now or keep.
The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
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