Cape Mentelle is a stalwart of the Margaret River wine scene. Planted in 1970, it is one of the pioneers of the region, and its winemaking and viticulture team, led by a true-born local David Moulton, are acutely aware of their custodian responsibilities.“Stewardship of the land and environment are always first and foremost. We are constantly considering our impact on our environment,” Moulton says.
“Six viticulturists across 55 years have had the privilege and responsibility of shaping our original Cabernet vines. Their approach has always respectful, working with a combination of nature and nurture to ensure that the fruit is a reflection of region, varietal and heritage.”
The Cabernet vines at Cape Mentelle have always been important – they grew the Jimmy Watson winning wine (historically, one of Australia’s most prestigious wine show trophies) in 1982 and 1983, and continue to have a role in Margaret River’s leading reputation for Cabernet, winning the Old Vine Trophy at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2023.
Since the 1980s, soil management practices such as cover crops and composting have been critical to Cape Mentelle’s viticulture program, who identified early on, that natural approaches to land management would better the health and longevity of their vines.
These days, cover cropping is widely accepted as an important winter vineyard process. It involves the planting of complementary species in vine rows to encourage vineyard biodiversity and resistance, plus assists with soil nutrition and compaction reduction, in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.
David Moulton is Cape Mentelle’s Chief of Winemaking and Viticulture. He has more than 20 years of experience, beginning his career in the vineyards of Margaret River at 18. His strong female team includes Viticulturist Annabel Angland who descends from New Zealand, and Senior Winemaker Coralie Lewis, who hails from the South-West of France.
Like many wineries in Margaret River, Cape Mentelle’s interest in supporting a healthy natural environment extends beyond its own vineyards and to the broader region, as Gold Sponsors of Nature Conservation Margaret River, a non-profit committed to protecting Margaret River’s globally important biodiversity.
“It’s more than more than just a sponsorship,” says Moulton.
“The team actively maintains a section of Margaret River's Cape to Cape Track for hikers and participates in its annual revegetation efforts.”
During summer, Cape Mentelle runs an outdoor movie series in their vineyard, and hosts an annual fundraiser evening to support the Margaret River Wine Association’s annual Coastal Revegetation Day. All proceeds from ticket sales are donated to this wine community event.
Cape Mentelle are educating their customers about small initiatives in sustainability too.
“In a highly successful recent pilot, Cape Mentelle donated $4,000 to Nature Conservation’s Waatu Kaatijin (Ocean Learning) program, by allowing wine club members to opt for deliveries in repurposed wine boxes and diverting the savings on packaging to the program.”
These small and large initiatives, when put together, better the whole local community.
Discover more about Cape Mentelle.