Products from Cape Mentelle

Manufacturer contact: Cape Mentelle 331 Wallcliffe Rd, Margaret River, WA 6285

The vineyard takes its name from a nearby headland named by the French "Bodin Expedition" that mapped the coast of Western Australia in 1801. The cape is named after two famous scientists that France, the geographer Edmund and his brother, the cartographer François- Simon Mentel, lived in Paris in the early 18th century.

David Honen
Wine industry pioneer David Honen and brothers Mark and Giles founded Cape Mentelle Vineyards in 1970. Cape Mentelle's extraordinary journey began on a small scale, with just 40 acres of vineyards, now known as Wallcliffe Vineyard. In his early years, David Honen experimented with grape varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Many of these original plantations are the source of Cape Mentelle's distinctive wines. The premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is mainly from the original Wallcliff vineyard.

First Harvest from Cape Mentel

In 1983, Cape Mentelle was awarded the coveted Jimmy Watson Memorial Award for "Best Dry Red Wine of the Year"

and cemented its status as a premium winemaker by winning it in 1984. Our Cabernet Sauvignon is currently regarded as one of Australia's finest Cabernets.
Another wine that has become an integral part of the winery portfolio is the signature Zinfandel. David Honen studied viticulture at Fresno State University in California and was fascinated by this powerful variety. The 1972 plantation at Cape Mentel was one of the first commercial vineyards of this variety in Western Australia. Initially, the focus was on red wines, including powerful Shiraz. The turning point for white wine production came in 1985 when David Honen established Cape Mentelle's subsidiary, Cloudy Bay, in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has become world famous thanks to Sauvignon Blanc. In the meantime, Cape Mentelle has developed the stylish Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blend that will become the next standard for the Margaret River region, as well as Chardonnay sourced from off-site vineyards. In the 1970s and 1980s, winemaking at Cape Mentel was characterised by experimentation to improve quality, understanding the potential of each fruit from the vineyard and developing its own house style. The nature of the grape varieties and the characteristics of the native soil are part of the established style. The area expanded with the establishment of the 23-hectare Trinders winery in 1988, followed by the Chapman Brook winery in the early 1990s.By this time Cape Mentelle had established a strong reputation in the Australian market.

Text source: https://www.capementelle.com.au/Cape-Mentelle/History (08.02.2023)