Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2020 (Margaret River)

Cape Mentelle takes a non-interventionist approach towards this classic Margaret River blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, preserving much fruit intensity and regional character. The style accentuates the fresh, vibrant fruit characters of both varieties with the added complexity and palate weight offered through a small component of barrel fermentation.

The fruit for the Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2020 vintage comes from the perfectly suited cooler southern half of the Margaret River region, from our three estate vineyards of Wallcliffe, Crossroads and Chapman Brook. The typical soils of these vineyards are geologically ancient, free draining sandy loams with a high percentage of lateritic gravel. The vines are vertically trained, spur or cane-pruned with canopy manicuring to allow good air flow and dappled sunlight on the bunches. We achieved a great tropical element with some sauvignon blocks ripening a touch more than in the past, while the semillon was picked a little earlier to capture freshness and mineral acidity

A winter of high rainfall replenished parched soils, and yet rains eased through budburst and flowering to allow a small but clean crop to form. The previous year’s unsettled weather, combined with some wind at the time of flowering (October), produced a tiny crop in the whites, which would define the intensity and power of the vintage. Summer was one of the hottest and driest on record, pushing harvest forward by between 10 days (sauvignon blanc) to 23 days (semillon) compared to the ten year average, producing fruit with great balance of ripeness and acidity. Crops were low, but quality was exceptional.

When harvesting sauvignon blanc and semillon, the emphasis is placed on capturing vibrant, fresh flavours with bright acidity. To this end, fruit is harvested at night and in the early hours of the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. In the winery, extended fermentation took place at very low temperatures in stainless steel tanks with carefully selected yeast to accentuate varietal characters. The wine is aged on lees (ferment solids) for an additional four months to add texture and richness before bottling in August