Waitersfriend was recently fortunate enough to catch up with David Hohnen.
David was the man behind Cape Mentelle and after selling Cape Mentelle, he went into partnership with his brother-in-law Murray McHenry & his daughter Freya to start ‘McHenry Hohnen Wines.’
He showed us some pictures of the deer he had roaming around the vineyard. They assisted in weed control and aided grass/clover cover which in turn created a good nitrogen injection into the soil. He is now culling the deer as he feels they are a hazard being so close to the main road and the potential for a very nasty accident being so high but he has moved towards sheep & pigs to carry out the same function. Apparently they are very good beasts and are making an identity for themselves that rival his wine reputation.
Back to the wine. With Davids’ pedigree & being in a location like Margaret River it is no surprise that they are putting out some pretty tidy Cabernet/Merlot & Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc. What interested us more about him was his commitment to blending and in particular the varieties prominent in southern France. He was very passionate about these varieties and the way in which they are presented. Minimalist intervention was the point being drummed in to me.
A truly striking character of the wines was the tannin level and the lack of new oak used in their wine making. He almost felt that it was unnatural to use new oak. David expressed that this was a new thing and was now being taken to joke-level proportions. ‘We never used to use new oak so why now?’, he asked. But vindicating him throughout this passionate observation was the amazing tannin structure of the wines.
The reds consist of:
Cabernet/Merlot
Shiraz/Grenache/Mataro
Tempranillo/Petit Verdot/Cabernet
Zinfandel
Cabernet/Malbec/Merlot/Petit Verdot
Whites varieties are;
Marsanne/Chardonnay/Roussanne
2 x Chardonnays
Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc
Waitersfriend is currently looking at holding an event based around David’s wine & meat. These classic French blends will do some serious justice to his organic lamb & pork. We are picturing spit-roasts, BIG glasses of big red wines and people standing around an open fire clinking their glasses with a bit of appropriate mood music in the background. Now that is living!
