Howard Park Flint Rock Shiraz 2022 x 12

Howard Park Flint Rock Shiraz 2022 x 122022 Howard Park Flint Rock Shiraz 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; Mount Barker, Porongurup and Frankland River to craft wines with regional typicity and purity. The continental, cool climate of Great Southern is

2022 Howard Park
 Flint Rock Shiraz
 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; Mount Barker, Porongurup 
and Frankland River to craft wines with regional typicity and purity. The 
continental, cool climate of Great Southern is favoured for growing Shiraz. In 
the Frankland and Mount Barker subregions, where Shiraz reigns, the wines 
display a great intensity of dark fruits with traces of spice, earth and guiding 
tannins.
 TASTING NOTES
 This cool-climate Shiraz embodies the essence of the Great Southern wine 
region: rich, powerful dark fruit, exotic spice and distinct minerality. Its 
character unfolds gracefully in the glass, with a concentrated fruit profile 
that remains impeccably fresh and tart, avoiding any hint of jamminess. 
The nose presents a captivating and inky medley of black cherry, blueberry, 
blackberry, clove, crushed peppercorn, wet slate and violets, seamlessly 
integrated and inviting. The palate is supple and soft, adorned with plentiful 
briary fruit providing depth and a plush texture, while grippy tannins offer 
impressive length. A bright, blood-orange-like acidity glides along the palate, 
complemented by subtle mineral nuances and a delicate oak influence, 
lending charry, woodsy notes. This wine is best enjoyed with grilled meats 
and other BBQ fare, yet for those with patience, carefully cellaring will reveal 
an even softer, silkier side yet to come.
 VINTAGE
 In 2022, beautiful dry and sunny conditions were entrenched throughout 
January and February, removing a great deal of the disease pressure that 
rain and humidity can bring and allowing a predictable insight into ripening 
patterns across most varieties.
 While summer set the scene for another consistent and memorable vintage, 
certain varieties paid a penalty for difficult conditions earlier in the growing 
season. The wet winter of 2021 lingered unduly, smothering the renewal of 
spring and delaying the onset of budburst and flowering in the vineyards. 
The consequence was reduced yields in our estate vineyards in the Great 
Southern.
 Consistent fine weather at the tail end of the growing season ensured that 
the potential developed in the vines was maximised by picking at optimum 
levels of ripeness. Superb balance between sugar, acidity and flavour across 
all varieties gives us great optimism for the evolution of wines from the 2022 
vintage.
 VINEYARDS
 This vintage of Flint Rock Shiraz was sourced from Frankland River which 
typically offers a style that is bold and primary in fruit. 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.
 WINEMAKING
 Vinification in small open vat fermenters with gentle cap management 
to facilitate the extraction of fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavour. 
Select parcels were fermented with up to 15% whole bunch to elevate spice 
aromatics. Maturation was for 15 months in mostly old French oak