2022 Howard Park  Flint Rock Shiraz  REGIONAL RANGE  The name Flint Rock epitomizes the fine mineral structure and savoury  elegance of wines grown in the wildly remote and awesomely beautiful  Great Southern of Western Australia. Our regional selection draws upon  the varietal heroes of the 3 primary sub-regions; Mount Barker, Porongurup  and Frankland River to craft wines with regional typicity and purity. The  continental, cool climate of Great Southern is favoured for growing Shiraz. In  the Frankland and Mount Barker subregions, where Shiraz reigns, the wines  display a great intensity of dark fruits with traces of spice, earth and guiding  tannins.  TASTING NOTES  This cool-climate Shiraz embodies the essence of the Great Southern wine  region: rich, powerful dark fruit, exotic spice and distinct minerality. Its  character unfolds gracefully in the glass, with a concentrated fruit profile  that remains impeccably fresh and tart, avoiding any hint of jamminess.  The nose presents a captivating and inky medley of black cherry, blueberry,  blackberry, clove, crushed peppercorn, wet slate and violets, seamlessly  integrated and inviting. The palate is supple and soft, adorned with plentiful  briary fruit providing depth and a plush texture, while grippy tannins offer  impressive length. A bright, blood-orange-like acidity glides along the palate,  complemented by subtle mineral nuances and a delicate oak influence,  lending charry, woodsy notes. This wine is best enjoyed with grilled meats  and other BBQ fare, yet for those with patience, carefully cellaring will reveal  an even softer, silkier side yet to come.  VINTAGE  In 2022, beautiful dry and sunny conditions were entrenched throughout  January and February, removing a great deal of the disease pressure that  rain and humidity can bring and allowing a predictable insight into ripening  patterns across most varieties.  While summer set the scene for another consistent and memorable vintage,  certain varieties paid a penalty for difficult conditions earlier in the growing  season. The wet winter of 2021 lingered unduly, smothering the renewal of  spring and delaying the onset of budburst and flowering in the vineyards.  The consequence was reduced yields in our estate vineyards in the Great  Southern.  Consistent fine weather at the tail end of the growing season ensured that  the potential developed in the vines was maximised by picking at optimum  levels of ripeness. Superb balance between sugar, acidity and flavour across  all varieties gives us great optimism for the evolution of wines from the 2022  vintage.  VINEYARDS  This vintage of Flint Rock Shiraz was sourced from Frankland River which  typically offers a style that is bold and primary in fruit. Tempered by low  rainfall and growing in lateritic gravelly/sandy loams of variable fertility and  water holding capacity, the vines are of low to moderate yield.  WINEMAKING  Vinification in small open vat fermenters with gentle cap management  to facilitate the extraction of fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavour.  Select parcels were fermented with up to 15% whole bunch to elevate spice  aromatics. Maturation was for 15 months in mostly old French oak