2005 Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

“Raisin and currant, mocha-smelling oak... deep for sure but also with chalky mineral characters adding cut and balance. There's brick-dusty, building tannin and masses of rich fruitcake flavour and also ripe pippy brambly fruits. This will evolve well.”

94 Points
Tim White, The Australian Financial Review - 08-08-2008
Full Review

“A stand-out year for this Margaret River cabernet: it needs air and responds with a lovely rich, ripe balance between fruit and tannin. It's deep and multi-layered in the mouth with good fleshiness and fine, dusty tannins that persist. Now to 12 years.”

93 Points
Huon Hooke, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Living - 12-02-2008
Full Review

“Deep dark brooding inky purplish crimson. Spicy blackberries ensue as due succulent rich plums, blackcurrant follow as does integrated perfumed cedary oak. A robust red wine of substance and gravitas. Seamless and long and smooth in finish. The fruit does the talking here with loads of black and red fruit emanating in mouthfeel but also along with a savoury dimension along with fine lingering tannins. Perfect drinking now and with a good future. Drink to 2020.”

95 Points
Paul Ippolito, www.paulippolito.com.au - 10-12-2007
Full Review

“The 2005 "Leston" Cabernet Sauvignon spent 18 months in 75% new French oak. It is dark ruby-coloured with an expressive perfume of wood smoke, spice box, cassis and black cherry. On the palate, the wine is elegant with a broad band of spicy red fruits which are nicely balanced by uplifting acidity and soft tannins. It will evolve for 2-3 years and drink well through 2020.Howard Park is an excellent source for elegant red and white wines from Western Australia. Even better, they offer an outstanding price/quality ratio.”

90 Points
Jay Miller, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate - 01-11-2007
Full Review

“Impressive follow-up to the excellent 2004. It's firm with ripe tannins providing structure for the deep dense fruit. Slightly minty characters on the nose. Palate is still quite firm and needs a little time to come out of its shell.”

88 Points
Ray Jordan, 2008 West Australian Guide to Wine - 01-11-2007
Full Review

“However, it was the outstanding, newly released and still very young Howard Park Leston Vineyard Cabernet (18.3 points and $35.75) that topped this bracket for me. It is certainly the finest and most sophisticated wine under this label to date and was just a whisker ahead of the Scotsdale label (18.2 points and also $35.75). These are great value when compared to their quality peers.”

18.3 Points
John Jens, Western Suburbs Weekly - 04-09-2007

“Ruby-red. Deep, chocolatey blackberry, cherry and plum aromas are complicated by licorice and cigar box accents. Fleshy, deeply concentrated cherry and dark berry flavors show a youthfully bitter edge but are impressively sweet and nicely framed by supple tannins. Finishes on a tangy note of cherry skin, with impressive cling and a zesty note of graphite. I'd bet on this evolving in bottle for at least another decade.”

91 Points
Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - 01-09-2007
Full Review

“Aromas of cassis, cherries, chocolate, damp earth and gum leaves and fine cedar oak. There is an attractive "felt marker pen" sort of lift here too. On the palate full bodied with deep cassis, cherry, dark chocolate, earth and cooler minty flavours. Strong but finely textured tannins and vibrant clean acidity. Finishes long with plenty of fine grained tannins and gravely cherry fruit. Lovely stuff.Drink: 2010-2020.”

93 Points
Gary Walsh, www.winorama.com.au - 24-07-2007
Full Review

“Gorgeous. This is what Margaret River cabernet is all about. Clean, elegant, structured, well-flavoured but not massively so - it's a real red wine, you can drink it or cellar it, and best of all it's far removed from anything remotely caricatured. It's balanced. Cassis, eucalypt, cedar, chocolate, gravel and toast, the flavours all working together as a team. Once again, the tannin structure is impeccable. This will age like a charm.Drink: 2013-2019.”

93 Points
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 01-07-2007
Full Review