I'm generally not a fan of MR shiraz, but this one is OK.
Purple / garnet in colour. The nose is fruit driven, with juicy red plums dominating. There's some dried herbs, but the oak influence is minimal on the nose - no vanilla or cedar, or even mocha. The palate is medium bodied only, with the fruit still dominant and showing a little concentration. Tannins are present, but in the background, and the acid is likewise.
It's actually surprisingly in balance, if the characters described above are what you look for in a wine. I think this is a pretty good wine - just not what I was expecting in a shiraz - and my caution regarding MR shiraz remains. Opinions welcome, especially as the Cape Mentelle is considered an excellent example of MR shiraz.
Cheers
Allan
TN: Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2013
-
Waiters Friend
- Posts: 2784
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 4:09 am
- Location: Perth WA
TN: Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2013
Wine, women and song. Ideally, you can experience all three at once.
-
Mahmoud Ali
- Posts: 2954
- Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:00 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Canada
Re: TN: Cape Mentelle Shiraz 2013
Allan,
I don't have much experience with MR shiraz so I appreciate your note. This appears to be a wine I might like as I am not one that wants vanilla and mocha in my wine but do appreciate dried herbs.
My only experience with MR shiraz is with a Howard Park 'Leston' and was from the 2003 vintage. I liked it when young but at some stage I thought it had lost its way, the ripe flavours dominating. So I left my remaining bottles alone and later a single bottle showed some improvement so I have hope.
Mahmoud.
I don't have much experience with MR shiraz so I appreciate your note. This appears to be a wine I might like as I am not one that wants vanilla and mocha in my wine but do appreciate dried herbs.
My only experience with MR shiraz is with a Howard Park 'Leston' and was from the 2003 vintage. I liked it when young but at some stage I thought it had lost its way, the ripe flavours dominating. So I left my remaining bottles alone and later a single bottle showed some improvement so I have hope.
Mahmoud.