Howard Park Chardonnay 2006 Friday, Mar 7 2008
Tasting Notes and Australia and Great Southern and Variety and White and chardonnay
Anything from Howard Park jumps straight to the front of the queue. This came in the day before yesterday and I was all over it like a fat kid on a chocolate cake..suffice to say HP is the source of some of my favourite wines.
Bright and tangy grapefruit, lemon and nectarine fruit supported by fine spicy oak with some yeasty lees characters adding complexity. On the palate intense and toit like a tiger, curled up and waiting to pounce, with flinty minerally acidity and a lightly creamy (lees derived) texture. It has explosive flavours of sweet grapefruit, lemon and white peach with yeasty richness and complementary spicy nutty oak. Bursts out on the finish with a long stretching aftertaste of mineral, grapefruit and spice. A very fine specimen.
Other vintages: 2005
Rated : 95 Points
Tasted : Mar08
Alcohol : 13%
Price : $38
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2009 - 2016
Source : Winery Sample
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March 7th, 2008 at 10:33 am| Quote |
Super wine…to me it needs a few years, very tight…have you tried any of these with a few years bottle age on them?
GD
March 7th, 2008 at 10:40 am| Quote |
Yes. I have 2009 down to give it a bit of time..actually opened the bottle two days ago (I was confused), tasted a bit, then popped it back to rest for another day.
I had 2004 and hmmm 2002 (I think) recently. Nice.
GW
March 7th, 2008 at 2:13 pm| Quote |
So tell me Gaz, another example of 06ers in WA (for chards at least) being superior to their 05 antecedents (albeit in a tigher, more minerally sort of way)? Slight aside, but I cannot wait to try the 06 LEAS on the strength of your bullishness (careful) for 06ers from other producers in the area. Which also has me wondering if anyone has tasted the 06 Block 20 juice as a standalone exercise? Please advise, many thanks.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:06 pm| Quote |
I think Campbell Mattinson has tasted Block 20 on its own. Not sure what vintage. I know he gave the 2006 a big 97 points..he is such a points miser.
GW
March 7th, 2008 at 4:49 pm| Quote |
My 2c worth…2006 MR Chards are wines for the purists…lean, tight…they won’t be to everyone’s taste as the flavours are generally more savoury and citrussy than fruity/opulent. I think there will a few people scratching their heads wondering what the fuss is all about…to Beenymans point about Leeuwin, it will be interesting to see what the 06 looks like as Leeuwin AS is always a more robust, flavour packed wine than say, Howard Park, so it should be a super comparison to make.
GD
March 7th, 2008 at 5:05 pm| Quote |
Grant/Gary
Have either of you tasted the Pierro 06? Given I am a MR chardonnay fan, I have some of the Pierro, Cape Mentelle and Woodlands Chloe for 06 (also given your reviews it is becoming difficult to choose for any other purchases - given the Howard Park, Moss Wood and Devil’s Lair have all received good reviews - assume Voyager Estate must be being released soon as well).
March 7th, 2008 at 5:35 pm| Quote |
Not me. They are not on my books.
I’d say the Voyager would have to be a killer. Cullen should be released soon too.
GW
March 7th, 2008 at 6:45 pm| Quote |
I can’t recall tasting the 06 Pierro yet, but there is another different style that will be fascinating to see…a wine that see’s plenty of malo vs some of the others that have moved to extended lees contact/stirring and minimal malo…something for everyone in MR!
GD
March 7th, 2008 at 7:12 pm| Quote |
I thought Pierro had tightened up their style considerably over the past few years? I had the 04 or 05 a while ago and it was pretty good.
GW
March 7th, 2008 at 7:27 pm| Quote |
I had a quick taste of ‘06 Pierro yesterday. It’s very good, though tight, and needing to integrate a little as you’d expect. It had a beautiful long grapefruit/lemon curd/custard flavour. There’s still a bit of the old Pierro-ishness about it, but it’s richness is kept nicely in check by plenty of fine acid.
I haven’t tasted it yet, but on paper ‘06 LEAS chard could be the Australian Wine Of The Decade. You heard it here first.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm| Quote |
Hopefully the Voyager Chardonnay won’t have the same price rise (around 50%) that it seems the Cab Merlot has had.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am| Quote |
MF said :
The price rise on the Cab-Merlot is big but nowhere near 50%, CD price has gone from $45 to $60, retail case price from low $30’s to low/mid $40’s.