Tuesday, January 26, 2010

CAPE MENTELLE SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON 2009

- Margaret River, WA
- $18-$28
- Screwcap
- 13.0%alc

Cape Mentelle's much loved sauvignon blanc/semillon has practically become an automatic inclusion on many Australian wine lists. The 2009 is made in the classic house style, with a small amount of barrel fermentation adding texture to the wine's fresh regional fruit base.

Pale straw; its typical nose of ripe, juicy gooseberries, grapefruit and straw precedes a cleanly flavoured, juicy palate of fairly straight forward character. There's an underlying herbal thread and some sweatiness to its bell-clear mineral fruit profile, which is handsomely wrapped up by brisk lemony acids and attractive length.

ü Cleanly balanced and easy to drink; there's nothing wrong here, not by a long shot, however, there's nothing terribly exciting either. The likes of Voyager, Cullen and Vasse (and the emerging wine by brad - great 2009!) make the quality end of Margaret River's sav/sem class a highly competitive marketplace these days, but I'm sure the more consumer friendly 2009 Cape Mentelle will still find its welcome home on restaurant/bar wine lists. Drink to 2011.
90 points


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