2023 Howard Park Flint Rock Chardonnay

Pale lemon colour. Grapefruit, apple and cashew aromas. Tight and lively on the palate; apple fruit with bright acidity that keeps it fresh and crunchy. A hint of saline minerality and an undertone of roast nuts adds more character. Good length and clean to the finish

Vanilla peach cream, pineapple flesh, it’s yellow fruit, ripe and juicy. Chewy flavours mid-way and a calm mandarin peel finish which could be longer and tighter but overall it’s a quite pleasant wine.

Ginger, grapefruit, subtle toastiness, salted lemon, yellow apple and jasmine. Quite pretty and pure aromas with good complexity at the price point. The palate follows suit with yellow apple at the fore, supported by white grapefruit, pear, and some zesty citrus pith bitterness. A good line of acidity brings length while the bitter notes linger on the finish. A really good chardonnay at $30 with complexity and length.

This pristine and pure chardonnay comes off a number of blocks on the Mount Barrow vineyard in Mount Barker. This is a another cracking chardie. Distinctive notes of oyster shell minerality with an apply grapefruit and fine lime character. The palate is finely balanced and defined with a melon lemon character extending to a very long finish. Beautiful textural feel in the mouth.

Hand-picked, each block picked separately. Fermented in older oak and stainless steel with 9 months on lees. Vibrant and bright, while an underlying creaminess speaks of classic Chardonnay malolactic characteristics. However, it’s the minerality and freshness that what drives this Chardonnay. Lemon rind, lemon tree leaf, lemon curd, nutmeg, and crushed granite finish with a lift of flint. Flint by name, flint by nature. There’s great fruit purity and length here, the energy sourced not just from the fresh acidity, but from arresting preserved lemon phenolics. This offers more impact, complexity and persistence than tits Miamup twin. A subtle cheesecloth savouriness on the palate is morish. A fantastic chardonnay in the sub $30 bracket.

Flint Rock Chardonnay comes from Howard Park’s Mount Barrow vineyard in Mount Barker; Western Australia’s Great Southern wine region. The high elevation, south-facing sites enhance the already cool climate, resulting in an aromatic intensity not often found in Chardonnay. There’s lemon curd and white peach with delicate orange blossoms and a subtle lick of oak. Citrus and stone-fruit abound on the palate with a hint of white strawberry and vanilla-scented whipped cream. It’s a lighter-bodied style and pure elegance, finishing with crisp acidity and a long, silky texture.