2024 Howard Park Leston Shiraz 6 Pack

94 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

Despite the warm season, this is a surprisingly plush, smooth, and quite elegant Shiraz that comes off Howard Park’s Margaret River vineyard. Supple fruit with some slightly powdery, chalky tannins providing structure along with quite understated oak that sits comfortably within. Loads of red fruits with just a hint of blackberry, and it all adds up to a quite beautiful wine.

94 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

The Leston Vineyard is located in the famed Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, from where many of the region’s greatest wines have emerged. The various batches from selected parcels throughout the Vineyard underwent discrete maturation for a period of ten months in a mix of French oak barriques, hogsheads and puncheons, one-quarter of them new. Dark magenta/purple, the nose exhibits aromas of plums, blueberries, chocolate, spices, florals and a hint of vanilla from the impressive oak integration. There is a plushness and generosity to this wine which retains focus throughout. A line of juicy acidity is maintained throughout, and the wine has serious length. There is more refinement here than one might expect to see with Shiraz from warmer climates like the Barossa and McLaren Vale. Not necessarily better, just different. Enjoy this over the next ten to fifteen years. Love it. Absolutely cracking value.

93 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

This seems to be in a gangly phase, youthful and not quite gelling. At first pour, the chary oak sits atop, underneath dark, sweet fruit, all spicy, rich and ripe with cherry cola. This is full bodied with plush tannins and a slight bitter walnut finish. Then I decanted it for several hours, and it improved markedly, opening up, less firm, so if you open a bottle today, there’s the tip.

92 POINTS

Kasia Sobiesiak - The Wine Front

Expressive, juicy wine with buckets of blackberries and black cherries, plums, and a menthol note of freshness atop. Spicy, textural tannins, with a bit of a rocky quality mixed between the ripe fruit, giving it a crunchy feeling. Clean-cut, vibrant, well-made.

92 POINTS

Cyndal Petty - Winepilot

On first glance, it seems herbal, but underneath there are lush purple chocolate, tart black fruits and the smallest touch of Ribena. The latter is a character I love to see in Shiraz. In the mouth, the tannins are charged, and there’s plenty of them. It’s firm and tightly bound. Some time in bottle will help this wine. I’ve enjoyed the firm grip it has on the palate, and the finish is long and sustained. Make sure to change into your big-girl pants before opening, then grill a Scotch fillet as big as your head and watch some car-crash TV.