Palate
There are a number of key characteristics that define the Howard Park Chardonnay line; fresh, lively citric and mineral aromas and flavours, elegant, refined and tight palate structure, and zesty, racy acidity. The wine is, in essence, a product of the fruit.This is an elegant wine that relies on balance and sophistication rather than power and oak. Melon, cashew, mineral and citrus aromas and flavours define the wine. Subtle oak supports the fruit and barrel fermentation characters which provide a fine creamy texture to the mid palate. The clean acidity adds linearity to the palate and a long finish with persistent citrus and roasted nut characters.
Growing Conditions
Grape ripening across the entire south west of WA was defined and affected by the extraordinary weather of late spring in 2005 with all early stages such as flowering and fruit set delayed by, in many cases, up to 4 weeks. The cool and intermittently wet summer has not allowed the vines to catch up to any extent with ripening being later than ever experienced before. The cool and mild conditions produced tighter and more elegant chardonnay than we have experienced for many years.
Winemaking
The fruit was gently crushed and immediately pressed. Only free run juice is used in this wine as this is the most elegant and clean juice possible. The juice is seeded for fermentation and then pumped to a mixture of new (60%) and one and two year old (40%) French oak barrels The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation thus avoiding the excessive buttery phenomenon that causes advanced development of so many Chardonnay wines. A small number of barrels are stirred every week to allow the development of complex characters and palate weight.
