Wine Overview
‘Abercrombie’ is the definitive cabernet sauvignon of Howard Park Wines. Since the first release in 1986, 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 the Mount Barker sub-region 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: |
Wilyabrup, Margaret Rvier and Mount Barker, The Great Southern |
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Technical Notes: |
The grape growing regions of Western Australia in the spring of late 2006 were in an extremely dry condition having come off another very poor winter. Dams were low and the soils were generally poorly hydrated. However fruitfulness was significantly down due to the extremely cold conditions experienced during the spring of 2006.
After the mild winter we saw very early budburst in most regions. Shoot growth was rapid and even with few vineyards developing secondary and tertiary shoots. This led to open canopies that minimized disease pressures.
Every stage of the vine phenology was early and the crop levels were low. The bunches were full but just not enough of them. These two factors led to one of the earliest seasons ever experienced in the southwest. Ripening for the most part was very even and very early and the summer temperatures for were mild.
We completed harvest by the end of March, about 3 weeks ahead of normal and much of the intake was compacted due to the light crops.
The fruit was hand picked, sorted and fermented in a mix of small static fermenters and open stainless steel vats.
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Tasting Notes: |
The 2007 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon is opaque red with a purple rim. The nose is filled with ripe blackberry, cedar, blackcurrant and chocolate representing each distinctive component of the harmonious Great Southern and Margaret River blend. On the palate, the Great Southern fruit parcels provide the structural backbone to the wine while the Margaret River component lifts the aromatics of the wine adding depth and complexity. The palate is rich and full-bodied with powerful fruit underpinned by very fine layered tannins and a long persistent finish.
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Cellaring Notes: |
Stands alone as a powerful wine with fine, supple tannins and great fruit depth. The wine will benefit from eight to ten or more years maturation under ideal cellaring conditions.
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