Cabernet Merlot Cape Mentelle, Margaret River, 2013

Cape Mentelle takes a minimal approach towards this classic Margaret River blend. The aim is to preserve as much fruit intensity and regional character as possible, whilst providing a full flavoured distinctive white wine. The style accentuates the fresh fruit characters of both varieties with the added complexity and palate weight offered by a small portion of barrel fermentation. Pale straw with green hues. On the nose – Varietal Sauvignon notes revolving around cassis buds, juniper berries and cracked black pepper. The nose then opens to complex fruit ranging from zesty white grapefruit to hints of lychees, lifted by ethereal oral notes of jasmine and passionflower. The attack is juicy clean, slightly saline, on notes of passion fruit and citrus. The fresh pithy acidity and mineral character, reminiscent of fine absinthe, fresh ginger and gentian bitters give the wine a lot of vinosity and masculine personality, well balanced by the honey notes and creamy texture of the Semillon and showing exceptional length.

Upbeat, bright, sun drenched fruit dominated, fills the corners of the mouth but at the same time is not heavy.

90 points Wine Enthusiast, “Best Buy” (2005 vintage)
“A top-notch offering for current consumption, this wine boasts a complex bouquet of black cherries, cinnamon, clove, coffee, vanilla, herbal notes and hints of green peppercorns—it’s a wine you can sit and sniff almost endlessly. The flavors are more straightforward—black cherry and spice—while the texture is delicate, almost soft. Drink now.” (06/07)

Simon Hackett was born and raised in the Barossa Valley where his family have been connected with the wine trade for many generations. – four generations of the Hackett family followed agricultural pursuits in South Australia. Simon worked at Saltram’s, in the Barossa, before moving to McLaren Vale in 1973 where he cut his teeth working at Southern Vales Cooperative Winery (now Tatachilla) eventually becoming senior wine maker. Simon’s privately owned winery is situated at the entrance to McLaren Vale in Budgen road and it is here where he hand crafts his wines in small open top fermenters and gently nurtures them in a combination of French and Oak barriques. Much of his fruit is sourced from dry grown vineyards with ancient, gnarled vines. Yields are very small and his entire annual production rarely exceeds 10,000 cases. Today Hackett sources grapes from the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills regions of South Australia.

Plum and cherry flavours and long, soft dusty tannins combine to make a warm, rich yet balanced elegant wine

Varieties:100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Viticulture: Machine Harvested in the cool of the early morning

Vinification: De-stemmed,roller crushed, cold soaked for 24 hours.The juice is inoculated with selected yeast for fermentation to begin. Fermentation in small open tanks for 5/6 days on skins.Juice run off with the skins being airbag pressed. The wine is transfered to Tank with oak inserts to finish fermentation,racked of gross lees back onto oak for 10 months maturation, filtered and bottled.

Simon Hackett was born and raised in the Barossa Valley where his family have been connected with the wine trade for many generations. – four generations of the Hackett family followed agricultural pursuits in South Australia. Simon worked at Saltram’s, in the Barossa, before moving to McLaren Vale in 1973 where he cut his teeth working at Southern Vales Cooperative Winery (now Tatachilla) eventually becoming senior wine maker. Simon’s privately owned winery is situated at the entrance to McLaren Vale in Budgen road and it is here where he hand crafts his wines in small open top fermenters and gently nurtures them in a combination of French and Oak barriques. Much of his fruit is sourced from dry grown vineyards with ancient, gnarled vines. Yields are very small and his entire annual production rarely exceeds 10,000 cases. Today Hackett sources grapes from the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills regions of South Australia. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 10 months in 2nd fill American oak barrels.

The nose has hints of plum and raspberry fruits with slight vanillin oak notes. A flavoursome palate with savoury stewed plum and blackcurrant flavours and soft tannins which merge well into a lingering oak finish.