The 2022 Houghton Jack Mann is a single vineyard wine from the Justin Vineyard in the Frankland River region of the Western Australia. It has a dark purple colour with a bright scarlet hue.
The bouquet is dense and concentrated bouquet of cassis, dark forest fruits, dried plum, coffee grinds, black olive tapenade and milk chocolate characters with a subtle overlay of cigar box and thyme. High quality French oak completes the picture.
This is a full flavoured, rich, and sumptuously layered wine with intensity, power and presence. The dense, firm, fine grained tannin is beautifully integrated with the fruit and oak providing a seamless palate.
A wine of exceptional concentration and length. Outstanding intensity, structure and balance will ensure a long cellaring life. A wonderful, concentrated expression of Cabernet.
Cellar carefully for up to 15+ years
98 Points - Ray Jordan – WA Wine Review 2024 – “While there are stylistic similarities with the previous vintage, this is a prettier and if anything, more delicate expression. Yet, there is ample engine room power here. It’s so bright and alive with energy from the first take on the nose through to the perfectly balanced and weighted medium bodied palate. Love the powdery tannins and super-fine-grained oak use. “Jack” is today quite different to early vintages and in many ways mirrors where modern winemaking is taking our wines. I love it.”
96 Points – Ralph Kyte-Powell – The Real Review 2024 – “Great depth of purple colour looks the goods here. There's a well-measured overlay of cedary oak on the nose, but it's well and truly in balance, with crushed blackberry, blackcurrant pastille, mocha and minty characters at the heart of things. There's also a haunting thread of floral fragrance adding elegance. In the mouth a robust core of rich varietal fruit is nicely seasoned with choc-mint and mocha-like touches. Medium to full-bodied, the palate flows seamlessly and sustained through a robust tannin structure. An immensely satisfying cabernet that should be hugely rewarding as the years roll by.”
96 Points – Mike Bennie – The Halliday Wine Companion, published Aug 2024 – “From a prized single vineyard and a wine that has been made for 51 consecutive vintages. Very good. This is an excellent release, full of tension and structure, charismatic perfume, dark fruit, well-judged seasoning, a terrific fine tannin profile and a general sense of elegance and restraint. It feels potent yet medium weight, svelte and tense, tannins show authority but are succulent and refreshing, the darker fruits, plum and blackcurrant, find keen friends in woody spices, new leather, mahogany-like oak elements and a swathe of wild herbs, mint included. It's a stellar wine, feels fancy from first approach and is destined for an outstanding cellaring life.”
