Howard Park Miamup Rosé 2021
- 93
- $29
- Drink by: 2022-2024
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If we had to pick a sector of the wine industry that has improved literally leaps and bounds over the last decade or two, it would surely be a toss-up between our sparklers and our Rosés. Gone are the endless sad, broad, clumsy, sweet wines made with whatever was left. Now we have so many enthralling Rosés of exceptional quality. Clean, elegant, focused, fragrant, balanced and usually dry on the finish with length and even, if you want it, the ability to age. This is another fine example of how good Aussie Rosé can be.
A brief extraction, leaving the palest of pink salmon hues, destemmed Shiraz berries are added to the ferment to establish the colour. Natural fermentation in stainless steel and older French oak with weekly lees stirring until dry. A brief sojourn in oak and then blended and bottled with minimal fining and filtration. There is the tiniest hint of oak but it in no way intrudes, merely adds to the complexity. Notes of strawberries and rose petals with bright acidity, good length, focus plus a clean and dry finish – delicious. Bliss to drink now but you could put it aside for a few years if you wanted.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
