2003 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Tasting Notes

The most significant influence on the 2003 vintage was the weather conditions experienced in the last few months of 2002. Like most flowering plants grapevines flower in spring, a successful fertilisation of a flower produces a single berry. The success or otherwise of a grape crop is often directly related to the success of flowering and the subsequent fruit set. In the spring of 2002 it was unseasonably cool and windy across the larger part of the South-West of Western Australia, conditions which affected many vineyards and many grape varieties with poor set. Depending on local site geography many varieties suffered large-scale flower loss resulting in light open bunches with few berries and subsequently small crop load. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were in general low in yield producing a small crop of high colour and flavour intensity and ripe tannin. Margaret River performed well across all varieties. Select parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from our Margaret River properties produced wines of great intensity and character.
The Great Southern again produced richly textured Cabernet Sauvignon providing the structural backbone to the 2003 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. The fruit was fermented in open stainless steel vats with twice daily pumpovers with active aeration to promote the textural development of the wine. The resultant wine was matured in 100% new French oak barriques for 23 months prior to bottling.

The 2003 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon is a dense blood red with a dark centre. The wine displays ripe berry aromas of great intensity with underlying dusty and earthy characters typical of Great Southern Cabernet Sauvignon. There is depth to the nose indicating there are reserves of complex aromas yet to develop and be exhibited in the wine. The palate is substantial – this is a big wine by Western Australian standards with intense and fully flavour – ripe and fleshy sweet fruit fills the mid palate with great palate extension driven by the ripe and mature tannin. The mouthfeel is robust but the tannins are smooth. Considering the wine was matured in new oak barrels there is surprisingly little oak evident on superficial examination indicating the depth of concentration of the fruit. 

The 2003 Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon is a strong wine with ripe tannin and strong fruit depth indicating it will benefit from careful cellaring. The expectation is that the wine would benefit from 10 years maturation.