Cape Mentelle - Products

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2018 Shiraz

"The regional hero of cooler style shiraz."

Cape Mentelle Shiraz takes inspiration from the most traditional techniques in order to highlight our ideal temperate, maritime climate for this classic Australian variety. The fruit is partially destemmed, berry sorted, cold soaked and traditionally fermented. Maturation in small barriques is aimed at retaining the refined fruit and floral characters of the variety along with the more savoury, spicy elements derived from our vineyards in Margaret River.

Appearance

Deep dark magenta with garnet edges

Nose

The aromatics are floral and spicy; wild black cherry, violets and lavender with orange marmalade and intense smoked peppercorns. Finer nuances of cardamom and cocoa nib entwine with leather and oriental spices with undertones of briar and savoury licorice notes

Palate

The palate is rich and juicy displaying satsuma plum and ripe black forest berry fruits of mulberry and blackberry overlaying cured charcuterie and smoked pink peppercorn. Oak notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, licorice and clove interlace with red mineral earthy notes, hints of orange peel and cedar bark. The tannins are chewy, yet silky with great texture and detail

Blend

Shiraz 88%, Alicante Bouschet 7%, Viognier 4%

Cellaring

Ready for enjoyment in its youth, this wine can also be cellared for more than 10 years

Food Pairing Notes

The savoury complexity of this wine matches very well with a vegatable laden lasagne of smoked eggplant, chili feta, grilled zuchini and red capsicum. A simple grilled veal chop on the bone, or venison fillet served with truffle garlic mash, slow roasted fennel and honeyed carrots enhances the spicy and savoury elements of this shiraz exquisitely

Show Technical Notes and Reviews

The Vineyard

The fruit comes from our Wallcliffe, Trinders and Crossroads vineyards. The typical soils of these vineyards are geologically ancient, free draining red sandy loams with a high percentage of lateritic gravel. The vines are now fully dry grown and, early in the season, manually thinned and leafed to expose the fruit. Picking decisions are made by taste only; picking is by hand in small batches

Winemaking

The fruit is destemmed from 70 to 100% (up to 30% whole cluster inclusion) and lightly crushed to a combination of open and closed fermenters. The ferments proceed with wild yeasts, some with viognier cofermenting to add aromatic lift and deepen colours. Post fermentation macerations are long- up to 80 days- before light basket pressing. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barriques (20% new) and the wine is aged on lees (fermentation solids) for 16 months and then blended. Some grenache was blended in for mid palate juiciness and to enhance the spice elements

Analysis

14.3% alcohol, 5.63 g/l total acidity, 3.64 pH

Wine Companion

Erin Larkin

86/14% Margaret River/Geographe. 89/7/2/1% shiraz/alicante boushet/viognier/grenache. On skins for up to 48 days, 18 months on lees in French oak (35% new). The complex regional/varietal blending has blurred the clarity of the shiraz. This clearly has class and presence, but it lacks precise expression of region and variety.

The West Australian

Ray Jordan

This is an opulent, riper style capturing the rich textures and flavours of this variety in Margaret River. There is spiciness on the nose with more aromatic ginger and apricot. The tannins are quite assertive, but they are and thread seamlessly through the plush fruit flavours. A lot of punch and drive in here.

2018 Shiraz

Wine Companion

Erin Larkin

The West Australian

Ray Jordan

Product Reviews