Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon (75cl, 14.5%)

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, Western Australia, produced by Howard Park Wines. The fruit comes from vineyard blocks in and around the Wilyabrup subregion, with each block vinified separately before blending. After fermentation on skins and malolactic fermentation in tank, the wine matures for 18 months in French oak barrels. The 2023 vintage earned 95 points from Winepilot. The nose opens with cocoa-dusted blackberries and cassis, then violets, hedgerow herbs and bay leaf, with savoury notes of sweet earth, coffee and lead pencil. The palate is juicy and supple, with dark plum and forest fruit, powdercoat-style tannins and a saline, nori-laced minerality. French oak adds nutmeg, cinnamon and mocha. The finish is medium to long, with silky tannins resolving into a soft, salty close and lingering black olive, bay leaf and baking spice.