Babich The Patriarch 2010
The Patriarch is our flagship red wine, grown on our Gimblett Gravels ‘Irongate’ vineyard in Hawke’s Bay and made in honour of the company founder and New Zealand wine industry pioneer, Josip Babich. With this wine we allow ourselves complete flexibility in order to make the best we can – we are not committed to a particular variety or blend, crop levels are very restricted and it is only produced when we feel we have attained exceptional quality.
Winemaker Notes
Grapes:
Cabernet Sauvignon 64%, Merlot 23%, Malbec 13%
Region:
Hawke's Bay - Gimblett Gravels
Recommended Food:
Ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. Also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
Recommended Cellaring:
4-15 years
Production Notes:
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. After an extended maceration period the new wines were drained to French oak barriques (40% new), to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials the Patriarch was blended after 7 months then returned to oak. The Wine spent a total of 13 months in oak.
Technical Notes:
Alcohol: 13.0%
TA: 5.9g/l
pH: 3.71
Residual Sugar: 0g/l
Tasting Notes:
The bouquet has sumptuous dark fruits, notably blueberry, cashew, tar, leather, dark and spicy notes. The palate displays dark plum, blackberries, spicy fruit, new leather; tannins have a velvet quality but still the youthful exuberance to age gracefully in the bottle. An elegant, powerful and seamless wine from start to finish.
Awards
5 STARS, 93 POINTS -Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com, Jan 2012
5 STARS, 18.5/20 -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Oct 2011
5 STARS, 96 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit Magazine, Issue 18, www.wineorbit.co.nz , March 2012
4.5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, July/August 2012
Wine Writer Reviews
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 64%, Merlot 23% and Malbec 13%. Reasonably dense, supple red with blackberry, plum, cedar, leather and licorice flavours together with a strong oak influence. This is clearly not a wine made for immediate consumption and as such it is slightly closed and hard to read. Clearly showing impressive power and complexity with plenty more to come."
93 POINTS
5 STARS
-Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com, Jan 2012
"The flagship red for Babich from the Gimblett Gravels, fermented to 13.0% alc. and matured 13 months in 40% new French oak barriques. Very full, near-saturated purple-hued ruby-red colour, the nose is a little subdued in expression, though there is considerable presence and volume. Concentrated and dense aromas of black plums, blackcurrants and dark red berry fruit with fruit cake and spicy oak sit brooding on the bouquet. Medium-full bodied, an array of ripe black berry fruits and spices fills the palate. A firm core of fruit extraction and fine tannins provides drive and line, with balanced acidity allowing the wine to retain tension and freshness. The oaking matches the richness of the fruit and carries through to a harmonious, long finish. A bold and flavoursome wine in the waiting. It will unfold and develop greater richness and nuance over the next 8-10 years. Match with red game meat dishes."
18.5/20
5 STARS
-Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Oct 2011
"A stunning expression of Cabernet blend, the bouquet is gloriously complex and fragrant with cassis, blueberry, game and cedary oak characters. It's concentrated and powerfully flavoured on the palate, while remaining exquisitely poised, with excellent density and texture, finishing extremely long and expansive. This exceptional wine is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 13% Malbec."
96 POINTS
5 STARS
-Sam Kim, Wine Orbit Magazine, Issue 18, www.wineorbit.co.nz , March 2012
Ratings & Reviews | Write a review
Currently there have been no customer reviews of The Patriarch 2010
Be the first to share you view! Click here to add your own review.
Write your own review below
Please login to your customer account to add a product review.
If you do not have a customer account, please click here to register
