Cape Mentelle’s return to prominence with cabernet sauvignon continues with this alluringly complex and tightly crafted long-term wine. Its dusty, cigarboxy bouquet of cassis and dark plums, dark olives and cedar/vanilla oak reveals meaty undertones and aromatic floral qualities. Smooth and silky, it’s firm and fine-grained; a structured wine whose slightly closed and brooding core of blackberries, cassis and plums is tightly interwoven with tannin and oak. (Margaret River, $75 retail, approx., 18.8/95, drink 2013-2021+) Jeremy Oliver

Cape Mentelle Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($66): This is a real cabernet. It’s not opulent, it’s not over-ripe, it’s not shiraz, and nor was it meant to be. It’s fine and gravelly and strong in its aroma, there is nothing fragile here, and then the palate impales the initial impression and does not let it go: currants, yes, but moreso ash and cedar and gravel and bitterness, with dry dark hulking chocolate appearing but only as stumps to the house of its stylish, long flavoured, anti-sweet, rakingly tannic body. Pure, strong cabernet. Drink: 2010-2025. 95 points; Campbell Mattinson

Cape Mentelle Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2001; Rich, gently savoury blackcurrant, earth and dark chocolate; medium to full-bodied; excellent tannin structure, good oak. No brett; lovely wine. High quality cork. Rating 94 Drink 9015 Date Tasted Mar 05; James Halliday

Taking on the mantle of maturity, a bouquet of violets and brambley fruit complexed with brandy snaps, vanilla and tobacco. The wine evolves over time to an array of aromas that let your imagination run wild. Dense and luscious palate, which is offering immediate appeal now but will continue to develop beautifully for years to come.

The fruit sourced for this wine comes from our oldest vines planted on the estate between 1970-72. The vineyard is located 8 kilometres from the ocean, with an elevation of 80 metres and a south-west aspect. The vines grow on gravel laterite soils derived from decomposed ironstone over gravelly, clay sub - soils. Vine spacing is 2200 vines/hectare with all vines vertically trained with judicious shoot and leaf removal carried out during late summer to open the canopy to sunlight. All vines are cane pruned with between 30 and 40 buds left on each vine. Trickle irrigation is installed and used sparingly, combined with a springtime composting to maintain vine health and ensure that physiologically ripe grapes are harvested.