Howard Park Chardonnay Awards  Add/Read Comments

You may note that the picture depicts the Howard Park Sauvignon rather than the Chard. That's because I have 'mislaid' the Chardonnay photo. Tasting note for both coming soon (unless I've lost the scribbles on those too!) but thought the news that Howard Park has been awarded two show medals for the Chardonnay would be of interest.

The 2006 Howard Park Chardonnay collected a gold medal and a place in the Top 50 wines of the show at the recent Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia along with a silver medal at the National Cool Climate Wine Show in New South Wales.

In its 14th vintage since 1993, the 2006 Howard Park Chardonnay is made from 100% cool-climate fruit from the Great Southern region in an elegant style that relies on balance and sophistication rather than power and oak.

These two medals are added to the list of accolades for the Howard Park Chardonnay line, which also include a blue-gold medal at the 2007 Sydney International Wine Show, a gold medal at the 2006 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and a gold medal at the 2006 National Cool Climate Wine Show."

Howard Park Senior Winemaker Tony Davis believes that the key characteristics which define the Howard Park Chardonnay line are its fresh, lively citric and mineral aromas and flavours, elegant, refined and tight palate structure, and zesty, racy acidity.

There is a mass of wine shows in Australia but The Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia has become one of Australia's most respected - mirroring the growth of the state's wine industry and providing wine enthusiasts with insights into the best of Western Australia's wines. You have to respect the results with such luminaries as James Halliday being involved.

The National Cool Climate Wine Show, which arguably has less of an international standing is a "benchmark of maritime and continental cool climate wines produced in Australia which fall within the Show's definition of cool climate".

For more on the estate see Howard Park Wine Makers Dinner.