Abercrombie Cabernet fruit is sourced in from the Abercrombie vineyard, one of the first to be planted with Cabernet Sauvignon in the Great Southern. It was established in 1975, in Mount Barker, identified as a terroir suitable for high quality Cabernet. Subsequently the vineyard was purchased by the Burch Family of Howard Park in 2004. Defined by a propitious northerly aspect accented with gravelly alluvial soils, the vineyard is planted to 10 hectares of vines and is minuscule in a regional context. An established component of the original Howard Park Cabernet, the name is now used for an icon expression that draws on the original Mount Barker source, while blending it with fruit from the Leston Vineyard, in the Margaret River hearth. Think black currant, mulch, Kari bush and a cool undercarriage of graphite-infused mineral. The aura has a coolness about it. The tannins, alloyed, detail and finely ground, meshed with an alluvial authority and a whiff of saline freshness. A wine built to age.
Leston Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: the Leston property was Howard Park’s very first vineyard, but also the spiritual home of all winemaking operations and the cellar door. It is named after Howard Park’s owner, Jeff Burch’s father. Planted in 1995, it represents the recognition of the Margaret River’s propensity for classic Bordeaux varieties, as much as an aesthetic that dwells on the bucolic Wilyabrup landscape. The site is 138 hectares in total, 75 of which are under vine. The aromas are a tattoo of regional classicism, defined by cigar box, dried nori and blackcurrant. The finish, a long plume of tannins, a whiff of menthol and a looser knit feel, suggesting mid-term cellaring capacity.
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.
