Howard Park Wines A.S.W. Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2023

A.S.W. offers a departure from its usual wine philosophy with grapes sourced from across the Margaret River region rather than the Leston Vineyard, one of its past sources. It continues to be matured in French oak with some “significant” use of American oak. It works a treat, producing a particularly stylish and approachable Cab-Shiraz in 2023. So easy to enjoy right now – and I did! – in all of its black fruited, plummy, sweetly spiced goodness. Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) takes the lead role and brings a subtle background mix of light herbals, earth notes, and is paired well with a smooth, harmonious tannin structure. Oak presence doesn’t seem quite as much a feature here as in previous vintages, allowing the fruit a little more of a moment to show its class. But, while we might note the generosity of fruit, it remains well structured. Some things don’t change.