Palate
a bouquet that is highly fragrant and very fresh. Exotic floral notes of elder flower and lime blossom mingle with black currant, gooseberry, passion fruit and lime zest. Juicy yet fine, the palate has ripe stone fruit juiciness, custard apple richness, zingy citrus, a bright acidity and a linear/mineral finish.
Growing Conditions
vintage in the south west of Western Australia was the latest in a succession of vintages that since 2007 have rated between good and great. During this lucky 7 year period, Western Australia’s viticultural regions have experienced conditions that in general have been dry and warm from late spring until midautumn – perfect for the making of great wine! Within this halcyon period, the vintage of 2013 was characterised by a winter of below average rainfall, a blustery spring and warm to hot and dry conditions throughout summer and autumn. The positives of dry conditions are the lower incidence of vineyard pests and diseases yet the drawback can and was the lack of native marri blossom on which the resident bird populations feed, causing them to turn their attention to ripening grapes. Let us hope that unlucky 13 with defy the odds and gods and this continuum of great vintages, continues. region began the growing season with just adequate soil moisture. Cool and blustery spring weather in November did impact flowering, set and early spring growth on exposed sites. Summer was punctuated with hot spells, which magnified the effects of little spring or summer rain. With soil moisture low, the south facing vineyard sites did receive some cooling breezes off the southern ocean. The hot and very dry .
Winemaking
The winemaking and blending of Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc focuses on the contribution of regional fruit strengths to build layers of flavour, structure and texture in the wine. Mount Barker provides stone fruit, gooseberry, lime citrus and refined acidity: Margaret River, palate weight and varietal characters of lemon /lime citrus and black currant with perfumed notes of elder flower and sweet herbs. Only the finely structured free run juice is used to make Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc. Most batches are cool fermented in stainless steel to maintain their regional character and delicate fruit flavours. Special batches are hand-picked, whole fruit pressed and fermented in oak to add complexity and texture.
Appearance
A glistening silver green in colour.
Food Pairing
Char gilled squid dipped in a lemon and caper aioli.
