Description
work of the Burch family, they specialise in the state’s premier grape-growing regions of Margaret River and the Great Southern. They are also part of Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW), an exciting collective of 12 multi-generational family-owned wine producers.
Winemaker Janice McDonald and the family are still celebrating after winning Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year for 2018. Peter Forrestal, of Gourmet Traveller said “Janice McDonald is an astounding winemaker: demanding of herself and others; rigorous; painstaking in her attention to detail.”
Margaret River is Australia’s most spectacular wine region with breathtaking coastline, Karri forests and maritime climate perfectly suited to premium grape growing.
The Howard Park Chardonnay grows on the Allingham vineyard, in the Karridale locale, at the southern end of the Margaret River region. Here the higher degree of cloud cover and prevailing southerly breezes facilitate a long, gentle ripening and the full evolution of flavour and structure that define the region’s finest Chardonnay.
The individual parcels of grapes are cooled, hand sorted then whole bunch pressed to extract the finest free run juice. After minimal settling, the juices are allowed to ferment naturally in French oak, of which 30% is new and composed of barriques, hogsheads and puncheons.
Fermentation temperature is between 18 ̊C to 22 ̊C and the lees are stirred weekly from later in the fermentation until dry. The separate parcels are matured on their yeast lees for 10 months and during this time, undergo malolactic conversion. The wine was blended to tank, then received minimal fining and filtration prior to bottling.
100% estate grown fruit Howard Park makes beautiful wines with depth of fruit, balance and structure that overdeliver across the board. A good vintage in 2020 produced a slightly bolder chardonnay than the 2019 but with a thirst quenching line of acid.
Pale lemon colour, with a lifted nose of grapefruit, melon, flint and savoury oak. A blend of GinGin and Dijon Chardonnay clones create a fruit profile of custard apple, red apple skin, lemon curd and green mango. There are prominent talc and saline mineral notes, typical of our Allingham vineyard, in the Karridale locale. Free run juice is barrel-fermented in a range of French oak barrels (30% new) with battonage, building texture and adding enticing savoury oak nuances and complexity. This Chardonnay is a beautifully balanced modern-classic style which speaks of Margaret River.
Newly released, reviews of 2019:
93 points, James Halliday “… The palate follows suit, blossoming into ripe stone fruit. Mlf contributes creaminess and the high-quality fruit has significant weight that carries it through the finish. Acidity on the mid-palate strays to the ‘nettly’ space – all this needs is a year or so to come together.”
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