La Dame de Montrose, first vintage 1983, is the highly-regarded second wine of Chateau Montrose, the St. Estephe deuxième cru (second growth). Montrose has a little more than 90ha of vines, the entire site overlooking the Gironde. The vineyard is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Around 50% (or less) of the crop goes to make the grand vin and around 30% (or more) goes into La Dame de Montrose. (The rest is used elsewhere or sold in bulk.) In good years La Dame de Montrose is considered a bargain, in the best years it stands alone as a great wine. The Dame de Montrose herself is the late Yvonne Charmolüe, who ran the estate from 1944 to 1960.

Geoff Merrill Parham Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep red coloured wine with purple hints. It was aged in brand new American oak hogsheads for 27 months. Its complex and powerful bouquet exudes aromas of roast beetroot, dark chocolate, black olive, blueberry, licorice and mint. The focussed yet balanced oak creates depth as it opens up in the glass. The palate is fleshy, full of tannins, structured with tight acidity, and displays flavours of dark blue fruits, black cherry and olive. Enjoy it with runny double brie, white castello, or pork belly.

His upland vineyard raises fruit of rare elegance without losing any of its perfumed intensity. Lithe tannins underlie a strap of lively blackberry, and perfect amounts of sinew, flesh and bright acidity guarantee a highly rewarding decade or two.

A concentrated dark fruit spectrum with an abundance of ripe blackcurrants, cherries and a hint of cassis. Coffee bean, dark chocolate and black olives lie beneath. Subtle dustiness combines with a seductive violet lift, enhancing the varietal fragrance and increasing complexity. A dense and layered palate with incredible texture. The generosity of the palate is carefully laced with a fine and structural acid line. Dark cherries and currants weave through smokey and mocha notes, finishing with long tactile tannins.

The nose reveals aromas of mixed spices, dark fruits, and toasty French oak. The palate is deep and powerful; showing a ripe spectrum of red to dark fruits combined with star anise, clove, and allspice. The finish is incredibly long, with firm but fine tannins.

Cape Mentelle has a rich history of exceptional quality and consistency with Cabernet Sauvignon, from a pioneering producer in Margaret River in the early 1970s to a benchmark winery today. Our Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon is the culmination of an intensely detailed approach to our vineyards and grape selection. From our vigour and soil mapping techniques to the identification of select parcels and hand harvesting bunch by bunch, we ensure gentle handling through every stage of production.

Representing our finest selection of Shiraz from our estate vineyards expressing clearly varietal and vintage, and only made in the best of years, this wine is the pinnacle for us of this noble grape in a cool elegant corner of Australia. Bearing the dark spice and forest floor characters which are hallmarks of Margaret River, wrapped in a fine textured umami envelope of goodness, this wine takes us on a wonderful journey, of which we are merely taking our first steps.