TN: Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot 1998

[Waiters Friend]

G'day

This wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 12% Merlot. I acquired it from the winery in 2023, and there is a sticker stating that the bottle was topped and recorked in 2008. That's still 16 years ago, and the cork came out in one piece with gentle extraction. It's a bloody hot day here in Perth today, and this wine was taken from the cellar, decanted and served immediately.

The colour is red / purple and the wine is fairly opaque. The nose still shows a fair amount of red and dark berry fruits (although very developed), with savoury oak aromas, tomato leaf, and stewed red plums. The nose only shows moderate intensity, and perhaps this is a function of age.

The palare shows dusty, chalky tannins, chocolate, and more of the developed fruit characters. There's quite a bit more intensity on the palate than there is on the nose, and the acid is providing some freshness and almost a tang. In fact, the wine is quite mouthfilling and opens up on the back palate, leading to a surprisingly long finish.

At 26 years of age, I suggest it has peaked (and I would have liked to have seen it a few years ago). Nevertheless, this shows how well the Howard Park cabernets and blends age, and is a most interesting wine to look at today.

Cheers
Allan

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