2023 Cape Mentelle Chardonnay, Margaret River

Gee this is good. It's moreish and savoury, with plenty of flavour yet a certain level of restraint as well. The spicy oak lightly coats the lemon and grapefruit, there's some ginger tea, and lemon curd and clotted cream lees add texture across the palate. Fine acidity ensures a fresh finish and gets you ready for the next sip. Drink to 2033.

95 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2025 

This is a wine that captures the precision and elegance of a vintage that produced wines combining delicacy with power. Whole bunch pressing and wild fermentation, followed by eight months in French oak barriques, have contributed to a complex and layered palate. On the nose, there are lively, slightly lemon-scented, minerally, lemon curd characters. The palate shows deep intensity, with oak and fruit sitting neatly together and a slightly saline finish, complemented by a subtle savoriness. An impressive wine. Drink to 2036.

95 points Ray Jordan, Wine Review 2026

The modern Aussie Chardonnay looks a lot like this – a place where less is more. It’s a fine juggling act and it is performed especially well in this 2023 Margaret River Chardonnay. The bouquet brings gentle toasty oak aromas rather than loud, and stone fruits and citrus sit pretty with a hint of spice. It’s welcoming. Held together tightly, firmly in structure by assertive, sherbet-like acidity it sprints across the palate in juicy citrus fruits, lemon zest, nectarine, white peach, woody spice and light hints of bush herbs and maritime salt bush. It offers more a feel of oak rather than obvious oak, a background component that brings a nice, light textural flow. Good balance throughout. Drink to 2033.

94 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, June 2025

The fruit for this fine Margaret River Chardy comes from two very different vineyards south of the Margaret River township, using the famous Gin Gin clone. Wild fermentation takes place in French oak, around a third of which was new. The colour is a pale pineapple/lemon and there is already some complexity evident, which is pleasing. The nose offers notes of stone fruits, nuts, peaches, hazelnuts, orange rind, a touch of grapefruit and hints of mango. A juicy palate with fine, bright acidity, endless flavour and very good length. There is room to improve and it should do so while providing pleasure over the next half a dozen years. Drink to 2031.

93 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, May 2025

More about this wine

The 2023 season was near perfect for Margaret River, with even warm daytime temperatures and cool nights. The Gin Gin clone fruit for this Chardonnay was grown in Cape Mentelle’s southern vineyards, hand harvested and cooled overnight. The whole bunch pressed juice was transferred to oak barriques (of which 28% were new) with all the solids for fermentation, which took place with both indigenous and selected yeasts. The wine was left unsulphured for a few weeks post-fermentation. It was matured on lees for ten months with regular stirring.

About Cape Mentelle

Cape Mentelle is a Margaret River pioneer established in 1970 by brothers David, Giles and Mark Hohnen with the planting of what is now known as the Walcliffe Vineyard. The original 16 hectares of vines has over the years grown to 116 hectares, with a global export market for the well-regarded wines.

New Zealand born Annabel Angland leads the work in the vineyards, while Margaret River local David Moulton keeps things organised at the winery.