A history of excellence

Howard Park has been making exceptional riesling and cabernet sauvignon since 1986, every year putting aside a portion of these wines for ageing. Now, the winery is releasing its extensive collection of back-vintages to buy and try.

CELLARING WINE can be a difficult undertaking for modern drinkers, with the issues of space, know-how and patience some of the barriers. That’s why wineries, with their facilities explicitly designed for the task of storing wine, are an excellent resource for those wanting to understand and appreciate older styles. When searching for aged wines to try, Western Australia is a great place to look. The balance and fruit purity of Margaret River cabernet sauvignon and the searing acidity of Great Southern riesling respond positively to cellaring. It’s smart, then, that Howard Park Wines, understanding that potential, has been putting aside a quantity of its core range made from these regions and varieties since the start. Now, it houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of museum wines on the west coast.

“With cabernet sauvignon and riesling being the first varieties made at Howard Park back in 1986, as well as classic collector wines that go through distinct stages of development, we thought rather than release a few, it would be interesting to offer a wider selection,” says Howard Park wine club manager David Stredwick.

Another benefit of trying museum releases such as these is that it can help you to realise your palate preferences. Imagine putting down an expensive bottle of wine and waiting 10 years to pull it out for a special occasion, only to find you don’t really like how it has developed over time? “It’s a good opportunity for people to decide what characters they like. Looking at older wines will help them to understand the flavour profiles at different stages and determine whether they want to keep wines for 10 or 20 years, or whether they prefer wine young and fresh,” David says.

Access to 30-odd years of WA riesling and cabernet is a rare treat for Howard Park Wine Club members to take advantage of, and visitors to the Margaret River cellar door can experience them as well. “We’re pouring flights of six vintages for interested guests,