“This Howard Park wine, from the cool-climate Great Southern region, is dubbed Syrah rather than Shiraz, to denote a fresher, more medium-bodied style. The Rhône influence is also present in the form of meat, dried roses, raspberry and cherry preserves, baked clay and a prominent but not overwhelming spiced oak note. The toasty barrel and alcohol can be felt a bit more on the palate, but there’s also plenty of delicate fruit and floral notes, gripped firmly by fine tannins.”

“The Great Southern is near Margaret River is Western Australia where wines seem to take on an old world charm with new world fruit purity. This Howard Park ‘Flint Rock’ vineyard is over 650 feet in altitude and it is a continental climate like Margaret River. It was intensely aromatic with pristine blackberry and raspberry fruit with a touch of gravel earthiness that was overall juicy yet fresh.”

“When I say that some wines inspired me, this bottle is a good example of one that broadened my horizons and doubled my desire for exploration. Great Southern is a wine region in the ultra-remote area outside Perth in Western Australia. Far from other well-known regions on the continent, Great Southern is the largest wine region in Australia, covering about 200 kilometers from east to west and 100 km from north to south. The northern end of the region is about a four-hour drive from Perth. I’m dying to go. This Howard Park Flint Rock Syrah was one of several wines presented during a seminar about Australian Shiraz while Wine Australia was in Miami for their American tour. Again, this wine stood out to me as one of superb quality, even against other varietal wines of equally as impressive quality. I loved the spice, licorice, and sweeter red fruit blended with gently gripping tannins. It’s not in-your-face but has a lovely presence and is complex and elegant.”