Houghton Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Stuart McCloskey, 12 November 2025 “Maybe it’s us Pommies as the contrast between UK notes and those from Australia are ocean’s apart (and we’re the delicate ones!). Overall, this is beautifully presented, exudes elegance along with stunning balance. Let’s break this down… An unmistakable perfume that transports you straight to Western Australia. Pronounced nori / seaweed segues to graphite, deep blue and black fruits, raspberry, violet, rosehip, oyster shell, sandalwood, bags of minerality and star anise – wonderful lift from an ozone-like freshness. The palate is packed with detail along with layer-upon-layer of complexity. Charismatic, polished and a wine of exceedingly high quality – ethereal comes to mind. There’s an exoticism to the fruit – all cloaked with sweet spicing. The tannins are silky fine and provide the merest of hugs. Super long in flavour… A wine that wants you to partner with a fire, a comfortable chair and a continuous smile of satisfaction. Jack Mann has legendary status in all of Australia. It is continuously viewed as one of the very finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon. I understand why – this is as good as any releases from Cullen and Vasse Felix. Such a privilege to sample… Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware. Decant for an hour or pour straight into your glass and leave for thirty-minutes. Drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve over the next decade. Check back in five-years.”

18.0 Points - Jancis Robinson “Full screwcapped bottle 1,575 g. Single vineyard, from the Justin Vineyard as usual. Mild summer led to a relatively late harvest. Houghton's flagship named after the man who ran Houghton between 1922 and 1972.Not an exceptionally deep crimson. Complex, subtle, relaxed, layered nose. On paper this looks like a ridiculously early release for a wine with this track record and rated Outstanding in the famous Langton's Classification. It really is a claret in style! So unlike the Australian stereotype. Rather subtler than most red bordeaux! Super-appetising and admirably restrained. Dry but not drying finish. I'd love to compare this with a red bordeaux of the same age but they are not yet in bottle! It really opens out into a fan of flavour on the finish. The word classic springs to mind.”

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front, July 2021 “Stately wine of density, impact and richness yet a sense of tension, length and saline-herbal savouriness. Olive tapenade, ripe plum, tobacco, choc-vanilla mousse, cassis and lavender characters come to mind. Builds and builds with each sip, very concentrated and yet seems to spread quite broadly in the palate, with chocolatey, wide-grain tannins lending a hand. No denying the powerful cabernet credentials though. Big, serious, wine of distinction and density. One for the mantlepiece, and a big decant."

97 Points (Gold) James Halliday, August 2022 “The cabernet shape of the bottle is normal, its weight heavier – appropriate for Jack Mann's belief that no wine was worth its gold unless it could be diluted with 50% water and still enjoyed. This is pure cabernet sauvignon, from a deep well of blackcurrant and black olive fruit, and tannins to make sure the wine outlives you.”

Sarah Ahmed “Named after one of Western Australia’s most celebrated, pioneering winemakers. “Jack Mann presided over winemaking at Houghton for 51 consecutive vintages. This flagship Cabernet has consistently been sourced from the Justin vineyard, planted by Justin Roche in the 1960s on classic ironstone gravel soils. It is a deep purple hue, with a richly perfumed cedar and graphite-laced nose, with deep-seated violet and dried rose florals and dried curry leaf. Measured in reams, the tannins are fine but have a density – a charge – about them, simply because they are plentiful. But they are not in the least aggressive – rather, all brooding with latent power. This wine is built for the long haul and, with concentrated fruit (lovely intensity) and sustained acidity, this beautifully crafted, balanced Cabernet has a long, long life ahead. Tapering gradually, the long, precise finish has a ferrous, ironstone tang, with bitter chocolate. On day two, inkier violet, dried rose, mulch and kelp nuances chime in, together with dried red cherry. The tannins are pleasurably ruffled. An outstanding Cabernet, which really speaks of its place.”