Howard Park Icon vintage release

Howard Park has unveiled the latest vintage releases from its Icon collection, a three-wine release that aims to showcase the finest expressions of the Margaret River wine region. This includes the 2023 Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay, the 2022 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2022 Howard Park ASW Cabernet Shiraz.

For the first time, all three wines have been crafted by Chief Winemaker Nic Bowen, who this year completed his fourth vintage at Howard Park.

“Although I had a hand in previous vintages of this range, this is the first vintage release in the Icon series I can proudly say I’ve put my stamp on,” he said. 

“I’ve really enjoyed leading the creative direction of these wines in collaboration with the viticulture and winemaking teams. It’s been incredibly rewarding to design my perfect Chardonnay, Cabernet and Cabernet Shiraz, using fruit from exceptional Margaret River sites, and I’m extremely proud of the final result.”

The first of the new releases is the 2023 Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay. 

“Our aim with the Allingham Chardonnay was to achieve a seamless integration of oak, allowing for a clear expression of the Allingham vineyard’s terroir,” explained Bowen. 

“We used a mix of new oak barrels from Burgundy and some larger puncheons that hold 500-600 litres. We then carefully monitored the evolution of each barrel during the maturation process to ensure we achieved the balanced, seamless feel.”

Next in the collection is the 2022 Howard Park ASW Cabernet Shiraz. First added to Howard Park’s Icon collection in 2016, the ASW represents a distinct stylistic departure from the winery’s usual methods by being a red blend of all Margaret River fruit, and due to being the only wine with a significant use of American oak. 

The final release is the 2022 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon, which according to Bowen “represents a departure from previous vintages. 

“I’ve paired back the use of oak to highlight the concentrated and generous fruit flavours. Compared to previous vintages, this release of the Abercrombie is a fresh, lively, and energetic style of cabernet,” he said.

Howard Park’s Allingham Chardonnay 2023 and ASW Cabernet Shiraz 2022 retail at $100 and $75 respectively and are available nationwide now. The Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 retails for $155 and will be made available from August.