2005 Howard Park Scotsdale Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Notes

The 2005 Howard Park Scotsdale Cabernet Sauvignon is a crimson red of medium density with a purple rim. It has all the hallmarks of Mount Barker Cabernet Sauvignon from a good year; it is understated elegance and complexity in both the bouquet and palate. It displays blackcurrant and blackberry fruits with forest floor like herbal aromas so typical of top Mount Barker Cabernet. There are chocolate and mocha characters supporting the clean fruit. The palate has a soft and elegant mouthfeel that belies the intensity and focus of the fruit flavours. There are dark chocolate and dark berries with a fine emery texture due to the tannin structure. The wine is tight and youthful and with more time this brooding adolescent will blossom into a wine of fruit power and elegance with style.

The Howard Park Scotsdale wines carry the Howard Park label and therefore are sourced from only the highest regarded vineyards and are given extraordinary attention in the vineyard. Canopy management is designed to maximize fruit exposure to the sunlight and yields are low to achieve concentration in the grapes. The grapes are harvested according to flavour with little regard for analytical data, fermentation occurs in static stainless steel tanks with highly aerative pumpovers that are integral in tannin development. The Cabernet Sauvignon is given some 15 days on skins after completion of fermentation to further develop the tannin profile prior to going to French oak barriques; 75% new 25% 1 year old. The wine was matured in barrel for approximately 18 months. There was minimal fining and filtration performed.

Medium term 5-8 years