"The immediate impression is of a wine with serious complexity. Blackberry notes, animal skins, coffee beans, cigar box notes, black cherries. Powerful, but balanced, and even a little bit elegant. There really is power, effortless power, on the palate. Notes of chocolate emerge here. Abundant tannins but they are soft and furry with good length. This cracking Margaret River Cabernet will improve for the next decade and then drink well for the two after that."
97 points - Ken Gargett
"A bit leaner and leafier than the 2016, Cape Mentelle's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon shows more of the region's characteristic herbal shadings of sage and bay leaf. The winery's trademark cedary oak overlays cassis and raspberry notes in this streamlined, smooth-textured, medium to full-bodied effort. The tannins are polished but firm, suggesting a couple of years in the cellar wouldn't be unwarranted"
90 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate