Howard Park 40th Anniversary Signature Dinner

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

I was very privileged to attend Howard Park’s 40th Anniversary Signature Dinner at Ritz-Carlton’s Hearth restaurant. This event was the first of the 40-year celebratory events, and was a fairly intimate gathering of 60 or so wine aficionados.

The evening contained just the right amount of formalities, with heartfelt tributes and entertaining stories from Howard Park’s history. It was touching to witness how Howard Park is a labour of love and commitment, and not just a business. Hearth Restaurant provided a menu perfectly matched to the wines presented, and I was singularly impressed with both the dishes and the quietly professional service.

The wines, however, were the feature of the evening. 11 wines were presented, looking at recent and older wines in combination, and focussing on the varieties that have been the pinnacles of Howard Park’s wine making and history. The first wines made in 1986 were Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, with Chardonnay and sparkling wines coming to the fore in more recent years.

Howard Park Grand Jete 2020: 5 years en tirage. Lemon colour with a fine and persistent bead. Lemon, lemon pith and brioche on the nose. The lemon was more evident on the palate, with a slight tang. There’s some yeast autolysis, and a creamy mouthfeel from time on lees. Good length and an excellent W.A. sparkling wine.

Howard Park Great Southern Riesling 2025: The current release. Very pale lemon colour. The nose is fragrant, with lemon, lime, talc, orange blossom and maybe a touch of jasmine. The palate is flavourful without being heavy, and shows tangy lemo0n, softer lime, and juicy oranges. There’s plenty of acid without being harsh or tart, and the wine has satisfying length.

Howard Park Mount Barker Riesling 2015. At the time, Howard Park also made a Porongurup Riesling; hence the ‘Mount Barker’ label for this wine. Medium yellow in colour, A good whiff of kero on the nose initially, which opened up to show mandarin and developed lime / lemon. The palate has more of the mandarin and orange flavours, alongside some lime cordial. Acid feels softer than the younger wine, and there are modest honey and toast elements. Good length and still has plenty of time left.

The Allingham Chardonnay was featured next. They turned out to be from my three favourite Margaret River vintages of the last 20 years.

Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2023: Lemon colour. A substantial nose, with ripe peach and nectarine, cedary oak, and a little lemon / lime behind the stone fruits. There’s more (slightly tangy) citrus on the palate ahead of the stone fruits. Polished oak is present but restrained to allow the fruit to shine through. There’s a modest grip/ mouthfeel (presumably both oak and lees) and the wine finishes quite long. The 2023 is one of my favourite vintages of this wine, and this glass did not disappoint.

Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2018: Slightly darker in colour than the 2023. A more savoury nose than the 2023 – the fruits have developed moderately- fig, peaches, nectarine, with a citrus undertone – and the cedary oak is matching the fruit. It’s also initially savoury in the mouth, with baked peaches, grippy oak tannins, a slight nuttiness. The acid appears softer and provides freshness to the wine. A very long finish and most satisfying.

Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2011: The very first vintage of Allingham. Yellow with gold flecks. There’s cedary oak on the nose, developed stone fruits, and just a little citrus in the background. The stone fruits (fig, ripe peach, stewed nectarine) are more evident on the palate, with lemon providing a modest tang. There remains some oak grip and mouthfeel, and the wine finishes full and long. This is holding up magnificently for a 15-year-old chardonnay, and a number of guests opined that this was their preferred wine on the night.

The next bracket featured the Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Howard Park made its first Cabernet Sauvignonin1986 (from Great Southern fruit), the Abercrombie name was adopted from 2005, and the fruit sources has shifted gradually to Margaret River.

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Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2023: A dusty and sweet-fruited nose, with blackcurrant, blackberry, cassis / Kirsch, and some graphite. Vanillan oak is present but does not dominate. There’s also a modest touch of tobacco and eucalypt. The palate is similarly fruit forward, which perhaps reflects a shift towards less new oak. There’s gentle tannic grip and more graphite and cigars. A very long and satisfying finish.

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: There’s a touch of leather and furniture polish initially, which opens up to show red and blackberry fruits, mocha, vanilla and a touch of eucalypt on the nose. The palate reflects these flavours, with some graphite as well. Tannins are integrating nicely, and provide a touch of dryness to the wine and the acid is keeping the wine youthful. A long and harmonious finish.

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: A dusty and delightful nose. There’s a mix of primary and developing fruit notes, including blackberry and mulberry. There’s also some graphite, a little eucalypt, and cedary oak. The palate is slightly savoury. There’s more dark fruits and some red fruits, and the wine is showing its development. Firm tannins, good acid in support and a long finish. Possibly my favourite of this (very strong) bracket.

A glass of the Howard Park Jete Rose NV accompanied the final formalities. Salmon colour with a gentle mousse, it is almost perfumed with soft strawberry notes. The palate is all strawberry and cream, very flavourful without being confectioned, and has gentle acid (for a sparkling wine) in support of the fruit. A clean, dry finish and reasonable length, this was a most appropriate wine to toast Howard Park’s owners, and the winery’s future.

The final wine took us back to where it all began – the very first Cabernet Sauvignon.

Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon 1986: Recorked in 2009 (as were a lot of the older reds). The nose is dominated (not surprisingly) by developed notes – leather, furniture polish – with savoury oak notes and stewed red and black fruits. The palate is spicy, and the fruits are (again, not surprisingly) fully developed and stewed. Tannins are fully integrated and the acid is soft – both are barely noticeable. Although the wine is on the decline, it shows considerable length and intensity, and surprised me with how well it was holding up. (I will admit I have little experience with 40-year-old wines).

An amazing (and superbly prepared and coordinated) evening, in terms of the stellar wines, matching cuisine, and the atmosphere in the room. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the 40th birthday celebrations, and I relish the experience. As a parting gift, guests were given a bottle of the 2023 Abercrombie – a fitting representation of Howard Park’s evolution over 40 years and a nod to the future.

Cheers
Allan

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[felixp21]

thanks Allan, great notes as usual.
the early days of Howard Park with Johnny Wade as the winemaker were nothing short of stellar, up there in the 80's and 90's with Moss Wood and Leeuwin Estate as the shining lights out west.
I fondly remember the 89 Howard Park Cabernet, one of the truly great Australian cabernets, and IMO still the greatest red to come out of WA.

[JamieAdelaide]

Oldies are so good worthy of an auction punt!

Boomer cellars auctioned off have been loaded with magnums I’ve snatched up.