Howard Park Leston and Scotsdale Shiraz 2005 ($40 each)
These came in the other day and decided that while searching high and low for my missing notebook and tasting notes, I’d just have to get stuck into the recent arrivals on the tasting bench. I know, I know, the sacrifices I make…
The 2005 Leston and Scotsdale offerings are the sixth releases under the Howard Park Single Vineyard Series banner and come from a good vintage for Western Australia’s southwest. Like the rest of the range, winemaking inputs are kept to a minimum and constant among among the four core drops in the range (one shiraz and one cabernet from the Leston vineyard in Margaret River and a shiraz and cabernet sourced from Howard Park’s holdings in the Great Southern) so as to let the fruit speak loudest.
Howard Park Margaret River Leston Shiraz ($40): Thick, dense, creamy chocolate and vanillin notes on the nose together with ripe jammy fruit aromas. Thick, luscious and intense plum flavours lined with grainy, fine tannins that will disappear with food. A nice juicy finish brings closure to the drop while adding further weight to the argument that cabernet isn’t the only red that Margaret River can produce.
Howard Park Great Southern Scotsdale Shiraz ($40): Sourced from a single estate in the Frankland River region, this beauty is liquid proof of the region’s affinity for the variety. Elegant and restrained nose of bright raspberries and strawberries with a hint of oak-derived vanillin. The combination of bright red berry fruit dusted in fine powdery tannins and just a hint of cool climate pepper makes for a succulent, highly-gulpable medium weight drop that’s likely to disappear before you know it. Definitely my pick of two and a pleasure to drink now. Get stuck in!
Based on a conversation with new Howard Park winemaker Tony Davis, it’s looking doubtful if there’ll be any 2006 reds released under the Howard Park label, so this and the corresponding cabernets could be the public’s only chance to add some new Howard Park Single Vineyard Series releases to their cellars until the 2007s see the light of day. Interestingly, Davis believes that Great Southern cabernet and shiraz from Margaret River were this vintage’s highlights so I’m expecting plenty of anticipation leading up to the release of Howard Park’s 2007 wines. www.howardparkwines.com.au
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