2023 16 Hectares Chardonnay, Cape Mentelle

Margaret River, Australia

The “16 Hectares” range pays homage to the estate’s original Wallcliffe vineyard, spanning 16 hectares of coastal, gravelly soils.  It is wild-yeast fermented, with approximately a third aged in new French oak barrels (500L), followed by a year of maturation that balances oak texture and purity of fruit.

In the glass, this Chardonnay engages the senses with a beguiling mix of citrus, lime zest and golden delicious apple complemented by lemon curd, pie pastry, and a soft overlay of toasted oak. Nuances of jasmine, jasmine blossom, and toasty almond further enhance its aromatic complexity. On the palate, it is both refined and focused: vibrant acidity drives a juicy core of white stone fruit and cucumber freshness, while a creamy texture melds with delicate hazelnut and oatmeal biscuit notes. A hint of flinty minerality underpins the finish, offering length, precision, and poise.

Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay

£27.95
Taxes included.
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As one of Margaret River’s ‘founding five’ wineries, Cape Mentelle pioneered many of the region’s renowned wine styles and today is a benchmark for the quality of the region’s wines.
The winery takes its name from the nearby Cape, named by the French ‘Baudin Expedition’ which charted the coast of Western Australia in 1801. They named the Cape after two notable French scientists, geographer Edmund and his cartographer brother Francois-Simon Mentelle, who lived in Paris in the early 1700’s.
Wine industry pioneer David Hohnen and his brothers Mark and Giles established Cape Mentelle Vineyards in 1970. Our phenomenal Cape Mentelle journey started small with just 16 hectares of vines planted on what is now referred to as the ‘Wallcliffe Vineyard’. In the early years David Hohnen experimented with grape varieties including shiraz, cabernet, zinfandel, sauvignon blanc and semillon. Many of these original plantings are the source of the distinctive wines that have come to characterise Cape Mentelle. The winery’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced primarily from the original Wallcliffe Vineyard.

The Chardonnay is hand-picked with a ‘one plot, one batch’ approach, after picking, the grapes are whole bunch pressed. The juice is transferred to barrel with all the solids, to undergo a wild fermentation. The fruit is sourced from the Crossroads and Chapman vineyards, mostly the Gingin clone. After fermentation, maturation is in French oak (88%) and tank (12%) for ten months. After this, all the finished wines are transferred to a tank for a further five months with monthly lees stirring.

Country
Australia
Region
Western Australia
Producer
Cape Mentelle
Grape
Chardonnay
Size
750ml
Sub-Region
Margaret River
Vintage
2023
Types
White Wine

2023 16 Hectares Chardonnay, Cape Mentelle

£27.95

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