2004 Howard Park Leston Shiraz Tasting Notes

This is the sixth Howard Park Leston shiraz released from Block 4 on the Leston Vineyard in Wilyabrup, Margaret River. The vines are given extraordinary attention in the vineyard with canopy management designed to maximize fruit exposure to the sunlight and keep yields low to achieve concentration in the grapes. The grapes are harvested according to flavour with little regard for analytical data, fermentation occurs in open topped stainless steel tanks with highly aerative pumpovers that are integral in tannin development. At completion of fermentation the Shiraz is pressed off into French oak barriques of which about 60% are new, the balance being 1 year old. The wine was matured in the barrel for approximately 18 months. There was minimal fining and filtration performed.

The Leston Shiraz has a medium density blood red appearance with high clarity. The aroma shows predominantly primary fruits with rich and ripe cherry and plums. An attractive lifted violet perfume is the distinctive vineyard character that runs through each vintage of this wine. The 2004 Leston Shiraz has gone up a level in terms of its palate concentration and depth displaying a very rich and full fleshy fruity palate profile with the soft fruit sweet mid palate being the primary wine attribute. The wine is very youthful requiring bottle age for the tannins to develop to the next stage of complexity.

Medium term
5-8 years recommended