HOWARD PARK Flint Rock Shiraz 2018

ABOUT THE VINEYARD

Vineyards
The Flint Rock Shiraz is a selection from Frankland River and Mount Barker. Each sub region brings its own personality to the wine. Frankland, typically bold and primary in fruit while Mount Barker is finer and spicy. Tempered by low rainfall and growing in lateritic gravelly/sandy loams of variable fertility and water holding capacity, the vines are of low to moderate yield.

Regional Range
The name Flint Rock epitomizes the fine mineral structure and savoury elegance of wines grown in the wildly remote and awesomely beautiful Great Southern of Western Australia. Our regional selection draws upon the varietal heroes of the 3 primary sub-regions; Mt Barker, Porongurup and Frankland River to craft wines with regional typicity and purity. The continental, cool climate of the Great Southern is favoured for growing Shiraz. In the Frankland and Mount Barker sub-regions, where Shiraz reigns, the wines display a great intensity of dark fruits with traces of spice, earth and guiding tannins.

Tasting Notes
This wine exudes both power and finesse, with a core of rich fruit complemented by savoury spice accents and controlled within a web of supple tannins. Dark cherries, sweet plum, mulberry and raspberries vie for attention on the nose and palate, with cinnamon and vanilla notes adding complexity. The mouthfeel is opulent, silky and plush, with some fine tannin grip evident on the prolonged finish. The inherent balance in this wine provides the opportunity to revel in the bold fruit flavours, which delight without overwhelming the palate, the essence of a fine Shiraz.
Tasted - November 2020

Grape Varietal: Shiraz 

Vintage
The vintage of 2018 has delivered exceptional wine. Our challenge has been to reign in the substantive fruit to create wines with style, finesse and authenticity, whilst allowing the free expression of what nature has delivered. The growing season saw a welcome return to favourable weather conditions more typical of the past decade in the south west of Western Australia. This was a compact vintage which commenced in Mount Barker on 3rd March with Chardonnay for sparkling base and concluded on 20th April with Cabernet Sauvignon from the Abercrombie vineyard. 

So often the very good vintages seem to lack extraordinary weather events and 2018 was such a year. Good winter rains were followed by a temperate spring, then a moderate to warm summer – a textbook progression of seasons for the ideal vintage. With veraison came the native marri blossom and a sigh of relief that the annual joust with the native, resident birds would be a minor battle not a major war. As summer relaxed into autumn, conditions remained fine. Yields were moderate across all varieties and ripeness and flavour development, concurrent. The early quality assessment of the 2018 vintage is excellent. White wines are very pure, focused and concentrated while the reds show that same purity of ripe berry flavours and supple, fine tannins.

Country of Origin: Australia 

Dimension: H30.5 cm x W7.6 cm 

Volume: 750ml 

Region: Great Southern

Alcohol: 14%