There are a number of key characteristics that define the Howard Park Chardonnay line; fresh, lively citric and mineral aromas and flavours, elegant, refined and tight palate structure, and zesty, racy acidity. The wine is, in essence, a product of the fruit.
After the mild winter we saw very early budburst in most regions. The weather at budburst was good with generally favourable early growth conditions, including some much needed rain. Shoot growth was rapid and even with few vineyards developing secondary and tertiary shoots. This led to open canopies that minimized disease pressures.
We generally experienced good flowering conditions leading to very good fruit setting. Ripening for the most part was very even and very early and the summer temperatures for January and February were mild.
The fruit was hand picked, chilled overnight and manually sorted to eliminate damaged berries.
A portion of the fruit was crushed and immediately pressed with the balance being loaded direct to the press for whole bunch pressing.
Only free run juice is considered for Howard Park as this is the most elegant and clean juice possible. Most of the juice is seeded for fermentation but approximately 20% is allowed to “naturally” ferment in a mixture of new (60%) and one and two year old (40%) French barriques. The secondary malolactic fermentation is discouraged to maintain the natural backbone of acidity which is the key to the structure of Howard Park Chardonnay. About half of the barrels are regularly stirred to develop palate texture and complexity.
