The Story
The Western Australian Cabernet industry was originally founded on the Houghton clone selections, with many of Margaret River’s greatest Cabernet being made from Houghton clone, which has a unique Western Australian heritage.
The original Cabernet Sauvignon vines that became the Houghton clones were introduced to Western Australia between 1836 and 1895, most likely from South Africa. In the 1930s the Houghton Vineyard took cuttings from old bush vines in Middle Swan to establish a 1.6-hectare planting known as the ‘Houghton Cabernet block’. This 5-acre plot eventually becomes the source block for the first Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the Margaret River region in 1967.
Rivendell's very own Houghton clone vineyards were established in the early 1990's and the youngest block was planted in 2015.
Characteristics
Houghton clone Cabernet often displays lower vigour vines, lower yields and smaller berries. It produces wines with ripe skin and seed tannins, medium to full weight and great intensity. It generally displays less herbaceous characters and a lovely density with classic, blackcurrant and cassis characters and certainly demonstrates that ‘power and elegance’ are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Source:
Much of the Historical information was taken from “Cabernet Sauvignon in Western Australia” Compiled by Glynn Ward and Ian Cameron, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia.
Credits to the Wine Association of WA.
