THE PATRIARCH 2002
Grapes: Region: Winemakers: Recommended Food: Production Notes: Tasting Notes: Reviews: "A deep, inky blend with rich ripe flavours that include dark berry, “From the famous 'Gimblett Gravels' area of Hawke's Bay, this is superb. Meticulous fruit selection through hand picking and sorting plus 17 months in oak have fashioned a gorgeously textured red blend in perfect balance. Savoury spice and black berry fruit aromas give way to a juicy mouthful of ripe cherry, black licorice and spicy black plum flavours. The finish is fruit forward, tangy, elegant and lengthy. Drink now to 2012.” "Garnet and ruby hues provide the base for the clear, clean and brilliant appearance. Ripe cassis-like fruit, with red plum, leafy herbal richness and fragrant smoky oak make up the bouquet. The palate is broad with a good alcoholic base, ripe tannins and fine acidity. Well balanced and a long finish." "Very classy blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec that looks set for a very long life. Bold, youthful colour, with beautifully ripe, super-charged flavours of blackcurrants and nuts. Warm, dense and savoury." "Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 19% & Malbec 19%. This is elegant yet intense, graceful yet concentrated with underlying power. A very youthful looking wine exhibiting ripe black plums, black berries with a hint of sweet herbs. The palate has ripe fruit characters and a seamless texture from start to finish. The tannins are ripe and firm with an excellent length of flavour. A wine with perfect balance and harmony expressing the varieties beautifully in a classic frame. Outstanding. At its best: now to 2012." "Most delicious; intense yet never heavy, a finely textured red with some class, complexity and elegance. Excellent. A strong sub-regional statement. No hurry for three years at least." "This is Babich's best red, regardless of the variety or vineyard, and only produced in top years. All vintages up to and including 2000 (5 STARS) were unblended Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the company's shingly vineyards in Gimblett Road, Hawke's Bay. Dark and lush, with the aromas of blackcurrants and spicy oak, The Patriarch is typically a seductive warm ripe and complex red, deliciously rich. Early releases were American oak-aged, to give a more upfront style than Irongate Cabernet/Merlot, but the wine is now matured for 15 to 22 months in mostly French oak barriques (30 per cent new). Built for the long haul, the exceptional 2002 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60 per cent), Merlot (20 per cent) and Malbec (20 per cent). Dense and still youthful in colour, it's a powerful, fruit-crammed wine with vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, superbly concentrated and firm. There is no 2001 or 2003. "A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 19% Malbec, the latter most evident on the brooding nose, the palate tannic and quite masculine with black cherries, mulberry and a touch of garrigue. It could benefit from a little more joie-de-vivre and vivacity and even after six years was stubbornly closed. Give it another two years in bottle because there is an impressive wine locked inside."
|
|
Print