The fruit for this Cabernet Sauvignon from Howard Park’s Leston vineyard, located in the heart of Margaret River, is made to highlight the distinctive varietal and regional qualities of their best sites..
Small parcels are hand-picked and all batches are sorted to remove matter other than grapes before fermentation. Fermentation occurred in closed stainless steel fermenters. Selected parcels remain on skins after fermentation to further enhance the tannin profile while others are pressed at dryness to capture fruit vibrancy. Each batch is matured separately in order to build a wine history over time. Matured to French oak (40 % new) for 18 months before a light fining and filtration prior to bottling.
Deeply-coloured, medium-bodied cabernet, with intense cassis and briary aromas of excellent varietal purity. Cedary oak sits nicely in the background. Fine texture and good concentration give the palate real class, and that statement of pristine varietal fruit made on the nose continues in the mouth. It's still evolving in bottle and its fine-grained, tight tannins should support it for many years.
93 points, The Real Review (June 2020)
Attractive, ripe red berries, cassis and blueberries, as well as fresh cedar and hints of licorice and violets. The palate has a very succulent delivery of ripe dark-berry and plum flavors with a smooth wrap of tannin and juicy acidity firing from the mid-palate.
93 points, JamesSuckling.com (March 2020)
Margaret River
Located three hours south of Perth, Margaret River is Western Australia’s most prestigious wine-growing region. Serious vineyard development began only in the late 1960’s following the publication of a report by John Gladstones in 1965 stating that the area had a similar climate to Pomerol or St Emilion, with low frost risk, plenty of sunshine and equable temperatures within the growing season promoting even ripening. Margaret River’s climate is warm and maritime, with some cooling influence provided by southeast trade winds. The soils derive from granitic and a gneissic rock over which laterite has formed. The region can be divided in three sub-regions: the cooler south between Yallingup and Karridale with predominantly lateritic gravelly loamy sands and sandy loams; the warm and sunnier Willyabrup in the centre with predominantly gravelly loams, but some gritty sandy loams and granitic gravels; and Margaret River in the north with similar soils, but slightly cooler temperatures. This is entirely consistent with style; the wines from Willyabrup being more generous than the highly structured wines of the north and the elegant styles of the south. Margaret River is best known for high quality Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends and top notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Over the years, the region has established an astonishing reputation illustrating a consistency in quality and a strongly focused winemaking culture.
