Wine Overview
‘Abercrombie’ is the definitive Cabernet Sauvignon of Howard Park Wines. Since the first release in 1986, a multi-region five-vineyard Western Australian blend, this wine has been a true reflection of the best fruit chosen from a selection of the oldest vineyards in Western Australia’s Margaret River region and cool climate Mount Barker and Porongurup sub-regions of the Great Southern. Produced from the top 1% of available Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and then only in the years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available.
Named after Jeff Burch’s Great-Grandfather Walter Abercrombie, this Howard Park flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is noted for its outstanding structural complexity and exceptional elegance. It combines the austere dusty earth and blackcurrant aromas from Mount Barker, with the classic rich fruit and chocolaty palette of Margaret River. Together they produce an elegantly balanced cabernet sauvignon with mature ripe tannins backed up by quality French oak. Careful long term cellaring will realize this wine’s full potential.
The ‘Abercrombie’ Cabernet Sauvignon is listed with Wine Ark in the Top 30 of Australia’s most collected wines for trophy and the ‘Grande Medialle d’Or’ (Great Gold Medal) at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, a Gold Medal at the Internationhe last three years. Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine rates the Abercrombie as ‘Excellent’ denoting ‘high performing wines of exquisite quality’. The wine has also received many top ratings from wine writers including James Halliday and Robert Parker. Over the last ten years it has been internationally recognized with multiple awards including the Best Red Wine Tal Wine Challenge, twice commended as Best in Class at the International Wine & Spirits Competition and two Blue Gold Medals at the Sydney International Wine Competition
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Composition: |
100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
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Region: |
Mount Barker, The Great Southern and Williabrup, Margaret River |
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Technical Notes: |
The 2009 growing season began with average winter rain and a wet and warm spring which extended well into December and made for a late start to a gentle summer. These wet conditions, coincided with flowering and contributed to poor fruit set and consequent low yields in most varieties.
A warm March allowed for full ripeness in all varieties. After a cool few weeks and rain in early April, the Indian Summer returned and remained well into May. Albeit protracted, the vintage finished in warm and dry autumn conditions that proved near perfect for ripening.
The 2009 season has produced a great vintage across Western Australia: all red grape varieties ripened fully, colours are intense and deep, tannins ripe and supple.The 2009 season has produced a great vintage across Western Australia: all red grape varieties ripened fully, colours are intense and deep, tannins ripe and supple.
The grapes for Abercrombie are hand-picked sorted and fermented in a mix of small static fermenters and open stainless steel vats. The wines are hand-plunged and pumped over as required to balance the extraction of colour, tannin and flavour development. The structure of both the Margaret River and Great Southern components allowed for extended maceration of the wines on skins for four weeks once alcoholic fermentation was complete. After maceration, each fermenter is basket-pressed to French oak barriques for 18 months of maturation which allows for integration of the oak and grape tannins. After minimal fining and filtration, the wine is bottled in October 2009 and released 8 to 10 months after bottling.
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Tasting Notes: |
The deep and dark ruby colour implies the intensity and richness that is abundantly delivered on bouquet and palate. Full of dense and very ripe blackberry and blackcurrant fruits with hints of sweet mint, freshly rubbed savoury herbs, earth and truffle. The fruit power and opulence of the palate is deftly cradled by well integrated ripe fruit, firm acidity and fine oak tannins. A wine of great presence that will age with grace.
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Cellaring Notes: |
Will mature into one of the outstanding vintages of this lineage after more than ten years ageing under ideal cellaring conditions.
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"Beautifully poised bouquet, with unmistakable varietalleafiness and bucket loads of enticing cassis fruit; the bouquet moves intoflorals, with oak playing a minor role to the pristine and ample fruit; thepalate displays an impeccable balance of fruit, acid and silky fine-grained tannins,revealing a long complex and wonderfully satisfying experience; while it willage gracefully, many simply won't wait, and they will not be disappointed.” - James Halliday, 2011 Australian Wine Companion
"High performing wines of exquisite quality with solid market values and volume of demand...Howard Park is the Penfolds of Western Australia, it’s multi-regional philosophy engenders a house style typified by intense concentration.” - Andrew Caillard Master of Wine, Langtons Leading Australian wine auctioneer
"one of the state's finest reds." - Peter Forrestal, STM magazine, Sunday Times
The Howard Park ‘Abercrombie’ Cabernet Sauvignon was named after Walter Thomas Abercrombie. Owner of Howard Park Wines Jeff Burch’s Great Grandfather. Walter Abercrombie was born in Liverpool, and migrated to South Australia with his wife and daughter where he was the Mayor of Port Adelaide and worked as a carpenter building several influential buildings in Adelaide including South Australia’s Parliament house and several Church’s.
Walter Abercrombie was very close to Jeff when he was growing up and used to read him the encyclopaedia and ask questions about what they had just read. Walter also made a seat at the front of his motorbike and took Jeff on rides around the countryside visiting vineyards around the regions as a small boy.
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