Coastal Connoisseur

Margaret Rivers terroir takes shape in Samantha Lims mind over a tasting with Cameron Murphy, estate director of Cape Mentelle

CAMERON MURPHY spends four months a year travelling the world to spread the gospel of wine. Arriving on Malaysian shores recently, Murphy met us at a luncheon hosted by Moët Hennessy Diageo. Bottles were uncorked and the conversation flowed just as easily as the wine. Although we avoid subscribing to clichés, the following is true: we were blown out of the water by the wines, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2013. Marked by a laser-cut minerality (said to stem from the winery’s proximity to the ocean) Cape Mentelle wines unleashed a barrage of questions about the region:

What is accommodation like at Margaret River?

Simply great. You have a couple of options: you can either stay in town, which has only 1,500 residents, or you can stay on the beach, which is my recommendation. Go with friends so you can easily book a beach rental or an Airbnb. It doesn’t matter if you stay in the north or the south of the peninsula—you’ll have a hundred wineries surrounding you. There is everything from pop-up chalets to glamping and beach shacks to serviced apartments. Our winery is exactly halfway between the town and the coast. I’ve got a house on top of a hill and 180-degree views of the ocean for 10 kilometres. If I ever make it home from work early enough, I get this beautiful sunset that dips into the Indian Ocean.

Is your affinity for the wine industry hereditary?