Fruit for this wine comes from Howard Park’s Mount Barrow vineyard in Mt Barker in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. Wild ferment in tank and old oak for freshness and vitality. 9 months maturation on lees for complexity. Note, bottle image is of 2019, but nought else has changed.

Howard Park, Flint Rock, Chardonnay, Great Southern, 2023

Pale straw/lemon in colour. Fragrant with plenty of white blossom, sourdough, lemon skin, macadamia nut and a hint of sesame oil. Upfront generosity before the structure drawing tight and narrowing the focus. The long tail presents even with pleasant bitterness and intensity. Will cellar easily over the short term, however there’s fine drinking now.

RRP: $30
Alc: 13%
Rating: 93/100

Wine sample courtesy of Howard Park