This is really fine with such polished and manicured fruit and tannins that deliver a thoroughly refined and beautiful palate with sweet dark fruit, from currants to blackberries. Long, long finish. Hard not to drink now. But one for the cellar. Try after 2025.

Angus Hughson from Wine Pilot recently awarded the Abercrombie 97 points, writing that “the 2018 vintage go(es) down as one of the best in recent memory.” 2018 was one of, if not the best, Cabernet Sauvignon vintages of the decade in Western Australia. This excellent year showcased Abercrombie’s absolute best characteristics, from its fruit intensity, purity, and elegance to its structure and balance.

Heavy winter rains provided ample replenishment of the water tables, which meant the dry-grown blocks had sufficient soil moisture to flourish. A gentle, temperate spring led into a warm, extended summer, a textbook progression of seasons for the ideal vintage. Then right around veraison, there was a ‘mega blossom’ of Marri trees, the most blossoms in living memory, which kept native resident birds well away from the ripening grape bunches.

A long, dry and warm autumn, almost like a second summer, preceded with minor rain events providing a much-needed drink for the red vines. Vintage arrived right on schedule and saw optimum Cabernet Sauvignon fruit arrive at the winery. With ultra-fine, perfectly ripe tannins, moderate sugars, good natural acidity, vibrant colours and complex, lifted aromas, the 2018 Abercrombie reflects the highs of what can be achieved in a superb Cabernet Sauvignon vintage.

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Cabernet Sauvignon was the first wine ever made by Howard Park and it remains our flagship to this very day under the iconic Abercrombie label. Since 1986, Abercrombie has changed and evolved, yet its uncompromising commitment to quality and excellence has remained the same. This can be seen first and foremost in the many coveted accolades and glowing reviews it has accumulated over the decades. However, nothing can quite compare to the outpouring of praise for the 2018 vintage.

The superb conditions of 2018 amplified all the best characteristics of Abercrombie reaffirming its place in the top echelon of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. As Tyson Stelzer writes, “This textbook vintage has given birth to an Abercrombie that will go down among the greats…” Tyson’s sentiments were further reinforced when it received a Double Gold at the 2022 Global Fine Wine Challenge, an invitation-only competition restricted to the top 120 wines of each country included, but the accolades did not stop there.

In late 2022 Abercrombie was also awarded ‘Three Merits’ in The Real Review’s Wine Classification of Australia. This tier is described as ‘iconic wines of the country, wines of true provenance and exemplary track record’ with fewer than 0.5% of wines produced achieving this status. It was one of only six 100% Cabernet Sauvignons to achieve this level of recognition.