The 2010 Georgiana Sauvignon Blanc (4/5 $16) had a nicely varietal nose and was one to hit in the near future, as was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (4.5/5 $25.50) a version of the region's prime white blend that was very easy drinking. The 2008 Chardonnay (5/5 $44), on the other hand, was a wonderfully complex barrel fermented style with abundant oak on the nose that didn't muscle its way into things when the wine hit the palate. Nicely structured, and I could be a big fan.
The 2006 Marsanne Roussanne (4/5 $28) on the other hand, while pleasant enough, paled in comparison to the Tahbilk take on the two Rhone varieties. Not for mine, and the apricot-heavy 2008 Viognier (3.5/5 $28) rated similarly.
Of the reds, the 2008 Marmaduke (4/5 $16) was a light soft spicy style, very much an immediate future or medium term prospect, and I quite liked the 2008 Sangiovese (4/5 $25) without looking at a purchase. As noted elsewhere I'd generally been underwhelmed by the Cabernet Merlot blends, and while the Trinders 2007 Cabernet Merlot (4/5 $29) had its strong points, particularly on the palate in the tannin department, there wasn't enough to overcome increasing scepticism about the blend.
We'd both been looking forward to trying the 2007 Zinfandel (4/5 $49) which turned out to be a muscular style with substantial layers of mixed notes on the nose, the sort of thing that demands attention and isn't for the faint-hearted. Interesting to sample, but....
Finally, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (4/5 $84) with a long finish and nicely structured tannins rounded things off nicely, and had me wandering outside convinced that I wasn't in the market to sample anything else for the day.
On reflection, Cape Mentelle was a repeat of the Vasse Felix experience the day before, a place where I desperately wanted to be amazed and impressed, but ended up underwhelmed. If we're back in the area I'll be revisiting both, and doing so at the start, rather than towards the end, of the day.
There was still a bit of daylight left, so we ventured out to the beach at the mouth of the Margaret River, where Madam snapped away and I was impressed by the lack of visible human structures. Most of the area between Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin is National Park, and the authorities deserve credit for the care and consideration they seem to have exercised when excising bits of park for commercial and residential development.
There's a rugged beauty along the shores with their multitude of surf breaks that I don't recall seeing anywhere on the east coast. Not that I'm an I've been everywhere expert, but the human aspect was largely conspicuous by a conspicuous absence.
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