2025 Howard Park Miamup Chardonnay, Margaret River

This is cracking value for an excellent Margaret River Chardonnay. From a selection of vineyards in the region, especially the south, fermentation is in a mix of French oak, 10% of which is new, and stainless-steel tanks, half and half. The wine then spends ten months maturing on lees. Green/gold in colour, this is classy stuff. An elegant and complete Chardonnay with gentle oak integration, the nose reveals aromas of citrus, melon, peaches and hints of jasmine. There is focus and balance here, with a fine line of acidity. Good freshness throughout and very good length, this will provide pleasure for at least the next eight years. Excellent buying. Drink to 2034.

93 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, June 2026

A wine that shows the vintage well, with its combination of delicacy and flavour. It is fermented in a mix of 50% French oak (of which 10% is new) and 50% stainless steel. The stainless steel component brings freshness, purity and vibrancy. Ten months on lees, with some lees stirring, adds layered textural complexity. Creamy with light stone fruit flavours, it is ultimately delivered with restraint, making it ideal for current drinking. Drink to 2031.

92 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, July 2026

Maturation in French oak brings with it a noted toasty vanillin edge which combined with some delicious peach, citrus and apple flavours certainly gives the drinker a high return for the money outlaid. Value for money all round. Sits warmly in the stone fruit and citrus spectrum with melon, apple, almond meal and spice. The condiments do a top job of elevating fruit and the oak offers a warm farewell to close. Mid-weight, nicely balanced, texturally warm and, overall, all round value for money. Drink to 2029.

91 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, June 2026

Howard Park is a family-owned winery with more than 40 years of experience in Western Australia’s Margaret River and Great Southern regions. From its 1986 origin in the latter, the estate has grown to five properties: Leston and Allingham in Margaret River, Mount Barrow and Abercrombie in the Great Southern, and Forest View in Pemberton. Each site has a different focus but the overarching theme is control: tailoring each vine and seasonal bud, and keeping the fruit and the expertise in-house.

The Miamup is a regional blend of Margaret River fruit, with the soils, aspects, clones and microclimates of each site adding complexity to the final wine.

The 2025 vintage was defined by consistently warm, dry conditions without extremes, allowing for even ripening and strong fruit quality. Each batch of fruit was picked in the cool of the night and processed soon after picking to ensure varietal flavours are preserved. Fermentation and malolactic occurred in a combination of 50% mostly seasoned French oak and 50% stainless steel, kept cool at 18 to 22 degrees. The lees were stirred from the end of fermentation and throughout the malolactic. After a 10-month rest, the wine was blended and held in stainless for a further two months prior to fining, filtration and bottling.