Babich, The Patriarch, Hawke's Bay

49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, 24% Merlot. Ripe blackcurrants, graphite, warm pebbles - check! Juicy red and black cherries - check! Red berries and earth - check! Scrumptious framing of high-quality french oak - check! Opulent yet elegant, intense but never overbearing, ripe but not heavy, with a tannic and acidic spine - but already enjoyable. This is a very, very good wine, and will be even better in another 3-5 years. Highly recommended!

Blind Tasting - Gimblett Gravels Bordeaux Varieties (Epsom, Auckland) : ripe dark fruity notes, blackcurrant, m++ tannins, fine grained, well integrated oak. solid structure, restrained flavours but lasting long. less weight than other two. Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 4+4/10 Total 93/100

Cabernet Sauvignon 49%, Malbec 27% and Merlot 24% deep dark red, a little purple. pack of dark fruits, dense and powerful, firm tannins, fine grained, balanced and well structured. m++ finish with some oak and vanilla. accessible now and big potential ahead. Acl: 13.5%, TA: 6.0g/l, pH: 3.6, BC 96, RC 19.0, MC 5 stars. Easter Show Trophy, Cuisine #1, Wine 100 China Trophy. one of the best red blends from Hawkes Bay. Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall …

A dark, intense, cassis-laden wine, full-bodied and rich. In mid-palate some dark chocolate and some coffee notes. Good long finish with layers of soft tannins. Fairly highly oaked but that does match plenty of fruit. The blend appros 44% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Malbec from the Gimblett Gravels, fermented to 13.0% abv, matured ~13 months in 40% new French oak barriques. Still going next day with black plums, blackcurrants and dark red berry fruit with fruit cake and …