The Howard Park Distinguished Sites concept is designed to highlight the distinctive regional and site characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the very best vineyard sites in the Margaret River and the Great Southern, the two premier West Australian grape growing regions.   Vinification occurs in both open vat and closed stainless steel fermenters with diligent cap management to extract fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavor. Barrel maturation follows in 30 % new and 70% older barriques of which 95% are French oak and 5 % American oak. 18 months in oak, is ample time to achieve the thorough integration of oak and grape tannins. After pressing, each batch is matured separately in order to build a wine history over time.