WTN: Two Australians - a Howard Park Cab and a Rolf Binder Shiraz

HOWARD PARK WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1996 CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT – 14% alc. (Matured for 26 months in new French oak barriques)

C: Deep with the merest suspicion of bricking at the rim. N: A well developed almost blowsy bouquet with ripe and rich red fruit notes laced with touches of vanilla; at first I noted some herbaceous and asparagus touches, which I like, but they were soon overwhelmed by the other elements. P: This enters the palate “forte”, if not “fortissimo” like many of its compatriots. Full and rich with deep ripe jammy fruit, touches of chocolate with soft ripe tannic structure, well integrated hints of fine wood and reasonable acid balance and length.

All the elements are there so it is difficult to describe why I did not really like this wine. First, jammy is not really my thing; blind, I would have thought the Merlot content much higher than the 15-30% claimed in Halliday’s guide. Second, there was an absence of that elusive quality, classy elegance, and of its components like minerality, fragrant acidity, pencil shavings, cigar box and, more controversially, a less forward shape in the mouth, firmer tannins and even leather which grace many of the Cabernet derived wines which I love.

I actually preferred the wine’s showing next day when loss of bloom seemed to lead to greater harmony.

Howard Park made one of the best Australian Rieslings (from the mid-90s) which I have tasted but this Cabernet Merlot is not in the same class, IMHO.


ROLF BINDER HALES 2004 BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ (EUR 11,92)

C: Deep with foaming purple at the rim on pour. N: Well developed with crunchy fresh dark fruit note mingled with a touch of vanilla. P: Forthright, freshly vigorous and quite deep with spicy dark fruit, hints of chocolate and delicious notes of a damp leather belt with a rusty buckle. (This may, of course, be too much for the brett-phobic; a sample bottle at a March tasting was frankly shitty but those I have opened at home, both before and after, have been excellent for me.) Wood is present but well integrated.

I really like this Hales Shiraz, perfect for barbecues and pizzas, and would drink much more Shiraz if I could find more like it, instead the scores of different labels of oaky alcoholic Ribena look-alikes lining supermarket shelves and high street chains, particularly in the UK.

Rolf Binder was in Belgium a few years ago presenting his wines and I really enjoyed talking to him and tasting his impressive range. Please come again, Rolf.

Tim, although I've not tasted the Howard Park wine in question, these HP reds made through to the late 90s by John Wade were always thought of as very long agers - the even years (90,92,94,96) especially. I'm still sitting on a pair of 94s that I won't broach for another five years at least. Much of your note sounded like the wine just hasn't got there yet (except possibly your mention of too-soft tannins...)
If you've any more bottles it suggest giving them another ten years!
cheers,
Graeme

Graeme, that is an interesting observation. Based on my experience of classical European wines, it would not occur to me that this Howard Park is not yet fully mature. The wine is ripe tasting and expressive; the problem is that I do not particularly like what it is expressing. Over here, I tend to associate immaturity with a degree of dumbness and lack of expressiveness and/or rough edges and lack of integration.

What you seem to be suggesting is that, in the case of this Howard Park, the rough edges may take the form of an excessive jamminess and slightly coarse voluptuousness which greater age may bring into better harmony. My experience after the bottle was open for 24 hours lends some support to this.

I think that I have one bottle left and I will certainly leave it a few more years. I also had a disappointing experience with a Moss Wood 1995 but there the wine was pretty inexpressive; I think that I also have one more bottle of this; I cannot find my note on this Moss Wood in the archive although I am pretty sure that I posted one. The Western Australian Cabernet which I have most enjoyed is Leeuwin Art Series even though this is less well regarded by the likes of Parker and Halliday, I think.