2003 Howard Park Riesling Tasting Notes

The 2003 growing season was unusually dry, with the lack of rain extending through to late March. The summer was also warm with several days in March reaching an uncharacteristic 40°C in the Great Southern. This combination resulted in an incredibly compact vintage with 99% of the whites harvested, at optimum ripeness, by the end of March. The lack of summer rain produced fruit that was also completely disease free.
The fruit was given a very gentle crush – just sufficient to burst the individual berries. The resultant “free-run” was kept separate, being the finest quality juice, free from the “grippy”, bitter phenolics associated with the skins. The Howard Park Riesling was selected from the best batches of fermented free-run juice, blended and bottled.
This style of wine represents the purest expression of the fruit - a reflection of fruit quality.

The wine is a pale straw colour with lively, steely green tinges. The nose is a fragrant blend of lavender, limes, apples and slightly more tropical passionfruit.
The initial impressions on the palate are of a seamless structure, vibrant grapefruit flavours and an impressively long finish of minerally citrus acids. The use of only free-run juice has given the wine a “finesse” that complements the delicate varietal flavours of Riesling.

The refreshing citrus flavours create a wine that is very appealing in its youth. However it may take up to ten years before the fine steely structure transforms into the toasty, rich, complex wine that is an aged Riesling.

Current Rating: 5 Stars
Drinking Window: Now - 2012