The Age Cryptic by DA #20,684

Rather difficult this week - well that's not unusual. This took me most of the day, off and on. I then had to go to D.A. Trippers to get some help with 14A, a few random clues and the SW corner. I also used One Across(dot)com on many. Definitely needed a bit more help to get through this one.

I got off to a great start in the NW corner and had most of it done in my first hour before the puzzle became a walk through hip deep snow. For me 17D "Faint ray, possibly extinguished (5,3)" where the answer is FLAKE OUT this my be a difference in how the phrase is used as I've always used it as someone who has a brain fart, too much sugar maybe and just can't get their focus. I'm not sure how "ray possibly" get us FLAKE unless it's the fish - do we eat rays and do we call them flake?

I think 19D was terribly tricky for just three words. I used one across for that and still thought "cut" was the definition over "dodge" but it is "Dodge" as the definition and "ESC" for the key and "HEW" for cut. I flipped on this clue so many times - way to mess with my mind.

23D was tough because the definition was quite vague. I don't know enough about wine to know Macon is related. I relied on the DATs for that one

I liked 7D "Difficult bend executed by Yankee (6) which is (-c)ORNER + Y and sent to memories of Yosemite Sam.

My favourite clue was 6D "Discharge integral to transport goal?! (6,8) and I got this just a logical answer so I'm not sure of clue type - it is an &lit?  I do enjoy when politics can slip seamlessly into a clue.

Two clues I don't know how to parse:

22A - Meat & Drink Summit consuming salt, suffering heart collapse (4,5)

Answer is RUMP STEAK so I get "Meat" is the definition and "drink" = RUM "Summit" = PEAK and "consuming salt" = P(S)EAK but how do we get the T from the rest?

20D - Wine agent function on square - no closer (6)

"Wine agent" is the definition and I got this from crosses and definition. I figured we needed a 7 letter word and the last letter being dropped so is it TANNIN(-g) and how does that work? Is it a math clue?

Let me know if you have alternate solutions in comments and have yourselves a great weekend.