Jeff Burch’s passion for big wave surfing brought him to Western Australia to discover his affinity for wine. Now he’s one of the winery ambassadors for Margaret River and Great Southern where his family farms estate holdings dominated by Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Howard Park is a proud member of Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) which includes legendary houses like Henschke and Yalumba. The Burch Family has been a pioneering force in Margaret River since the early 1970s and expanded their operation into the Great Southern where Shiraz thrives in the more continental and cooler climate-influenced sub-zones of Frankland River and Mount Barker. Their “Flint Rock” Shiraz is 80% Frankland River fruit that adheres to traditional winemaking methods and the use of fine-grain French oak. The 2017 will put a smile on any Syrah purist face with its well-endowed black fruit core laced with an array of spices and creamy mouthfeel. It serves up a heap of blackberries, black cherries, and black plums seasoned with cracked pepper, vanilla, mocha, licorice, and graphite. Incredibly silky with a balanced finish. Extremely affordable when you consider the assets that it possesses– a  tremendous score for our members!