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The Patriarch is our flagship red wine, grown on our ‘Irongate’ vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke’s Bay. Being made in honour of the winery founder and New Zealand wine industry pioneer, Josip Babich, we apply the very best of over 100 years of wine experience and expertise to make a delightfully complex, elegant but powerful wine that is befitting of Josip’s legacy.
Darkly perfumed with layers of spice, cassis and plum. Also a touch of cedar. The palate is full, round and dense with deceptive concentration. Dark chocolate, blueberry and cinnamon and a little cigar box too. An elegant and powerful wine with a delightful transparency.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. After an extended maceration period the new wines were drained to French oak barriques, to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials The Patriarch was blended after 12 months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 16 months in oak.
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.
TROPHY - Best Merlot Award 2021 - Shanghai International Wine Challenge 2021
GOLD MEDAL - Shanghai International Wine Challenge 2021
96 POINTS - Huon Hooke, www.therealreview.com
96 POINTS - Cameron Douglas, The Shout Hospitality Magazine, Apr 2019
93 POINTS - Rebecca Gibb, Decanter Magazine, Feb 2019
93 POINTS - Ken Gargett, quillandpad.com
5 STARS - Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz, Jul 2019
5 STARS - Winestate Magazine, Nov 2019 issue
5 STARS - The Listener magazine, Sept 2021
96 POINTS -Huon Hooke - www.therealreview.com
"A mid-weight, elegant style with the right amount of flesh filling its frame. There's no shortage of freshness either, providing a precise conclusion in combination with abundant mouth-coating tannins. Expect black cherry, violets and festive spices, providing fragrance on the medium-length finish."
93 POINTS -Rebecca Gibb, Decanter Magazine, Feb 2019
"Appealingly richly fruited nose with cassis, spice and a hint of menthol. An elegant style, rich but not overblown, fine and integrated tannins, and a long finish with fresh acidity. Notes of tilled earth and licorice are woven in with the fruit core; the depth and richness building beautifully in the glass as it shows firmer tannins.  Approachable now but with potential too."
-Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, 1st May 2019
"The 2016 vintage (5*) is a boldly coloured blend of Merlot (40 per cent), Malbec (33 per cent) and Cabernet Sauvignon (27 per cent), matured for 16 months in French oak barriques. A powerful young wine, it is sturdy, with concentrated, ripe berry, plum and spice flavours, finely integrated oak, good tannin backbone and obvious potential. Retasted in April 2019, it is still very fresh and youthful; open 2022+"
5 STARS -Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz, July 2019
"This is a blend of Merlot (40%), Malbec (33%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (27%), which combine to create a full-bodied, fleshy red with intense colour, dark fruit and spice flavours.  It spent 16 months in French oak, 45% new and is a great red for the cellar."
"This powerful, very youthful red is a Gimblett Gravels blend of merlot (40%), malbec (33%) and cabernet sauvignon (27%). Deeply coloured, it is weighty, with bold, berryish, plummy, nutty flavours, fresh and concentrated, firm tannin backbone, excellent complexity and a long, spicy finish."
5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, Nov 2019 issue
"Babich's greatest red is estate-grown at the Irongate Vineyard in Gimblett Road, Hawke's Bay. This dark blend of merlot (40%), malbec (33%) and cabernet Sauvignon (27%) was matured for 16 months in French oak barriques. A powerful young wine, it is sturdy, with concentrated ripe berry, plum and spice flavours, finely integrated oak, good tannin backbone and obvious potential for cellaring."
5 STARS - The Listener magazine, Sept 2021
Fleshy and full entry with dark plums and sweet tarry notes. Chocolate. Tannins bind red floral aromatics to the palate and stretch the flavours through onto the lingering finish.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. After an extended maceration period the new wines were drained to French oak barriques, to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials The Patriarch was blended after 12 months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 15 months in oak.
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.
GOLD MEDAL - Six Nations Wine Challenge 2018
GOLD MEDAL - Wine100 Challenge 2019
GOLD MEDAL - 95 POINTS - International Wine Challenge China 2019
5 STARS - Michael Cooper The Listener 6 Oct 2017
5 STARS - Bob Campbell www.bobcampbell.nz June 2017 and 2019
95 POINTS - Cameron Douglas MS 2017
92 POINTS - Jo Czerwinski Wine Advocate Feb 2018
90 POINTS - Decanter Magazine Andrew Jefford May 2018
90 POINTS - Rebecca Gibb MW www.rebeccagibb.com June 2018
5 STARS - Raymond Chan raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz 2017
5 STARS - Michael Cooper www.michaelcooper.co.nz Jul 2019
5 STARS - Bob Campbellwww.bobcampbell.nz, June 2017
"Last tasted exactly one year ago, this cabernet sauvignon-dominant flagship red remains impressively complex and concentrated with strong cabernet varietal blackcurrant and cedar flavours supported by a range of savoury oak and emerging bottle development."
5 STARS - Bob Campbell, www.therealreview.nz, June 2019
"Dark purple core, almost opaque, purple hues to the rim with a light pink edge. Aromas of dark berries, dark olives, hay and herbs, smoky wood tones, chocolate and dark spices including clove and vanilla; complex and youthful. On the palate –  equally complex and loaded with flavours of sweet dark berries, marmite, clove, dark olive, dusty powdery tannins and balancing acidity. A lovely wine with a violet floral edge and long finish."
95 POINTS - Cameron Douglas MS, 2017
5 STARS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, 2017
"Dark fruited nose, graphite with perfumed oak. Ripe black fruits and spice flood the palate, a tamarillo note adding a sweet & sour zestiness to the mid palate.  Dense and weighty; the tannins suck your cheeks in yet work wonderfully with the overall weight of the wine, creating a dry mid palate before the appealingly long, fruit-led finish."
-Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, 8 Nov 2017
5 STARS - Michael Cooper, The Listener, 6 Oct 2017
"A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 22% Malbec, Babich's 2015 The Patriarch offers a full-on nose of chocolate and cedar oak, then backs that with dark cassis and plum fruit, ample weight and richness and a long, velvety finish. More powerful and extracted than the 2015 Irongate blend, it's also less floral and pretty, but it should prove capable of aging through at least 2030."
92 POINTS -Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, Feb 2018
"This blend of 51 per cent Cabernet with 27 per cent of Merlot and 22 per cent of Malbec is dark black-red in colour, with sweet, warm, fresh and alluring scents of black cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry discreetly plumped up by 15 months in oak.  That hugely enjoyable fruit provides most of the palate satisfaction in sweet, round, tasty and lip-smacking style, darkening a little towards black-chocolate austerity at the very end."
90 POINTS -Decanter Magazine, Andrew Jefford, May 2018
"Fresh, pure and balanced with a savoury, gravelly edge to the bright black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Youthful and quite primary with some grainy tannic structure. Has a firmness and a sense of restraint. Should age really nicely, putting on some weight in the process."
90 POINTS -Rebecca Gibb MW, www.rebeccagibb.com, June 2018
"This very refined, savoury Gimblett Gravels red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (51%), merlot (27%) and malbec (22%), estate-grown in the Irongate Vineyard. Dark and highly fragrant, it is full-bodied, with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and nutty oak flavours, that build across the palate to a lovely, long finish."
"Elegant restrained black fruit characters with oaky perfume. Still youthful and tight. Firm and fresh with dry finish."
GOLD MEDAL 95 POINTS - International Wine Challenge 2019
" The very refined, savoury 2015 vintage (5*) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (51 per cent), Merlot (27 per cent) and Malbec (22 per cent), barrel-aged for 15 months. Retasted in April 2019, it is dark and highly fragrant, with bold blackcurrant, plum, spice and nutty oak flavours, that build to a lovely, long finish. Open 2021+."
5 STARS -Micheal Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz, Jul 2019
Dark and sweet with blueberry to the fore, followed by a touch of liquorice. Smooth, opulent entry to the palate, dense and concentrated dark fruits with sweet spice and tar on the finish. Notes of blackberry and vanilla linger.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. After an extended maceration period the new wines were drained to French oak barriques (45% new), to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials The Patriarch was blended after 12 months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 15 months in oak.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Awards 2017
5 STARS, 95 POINTS - Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz, June 2016
4.5 STARS - Winestate Magazine, Nov/Dec 2016 issue
SILVER MEDAL - NZ International Wine Show 2016
SILVER MEDAL - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2016
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's 2017 Buyers Guide
SILVER MEDAL - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2017
SILVER MEDAL - 90 POINTS, Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2017
94 POINTS - www.jamessuckling.com
5 STARS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, April 2017
5 STARS - TOP WINE - WineNZ Magazine, Winter 2017 issue
SILVER MEDAL - Hawke's Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards 2017
"Tasted alongside the 2013 vintage, this wine is a move away from dark fruits to red fruits and is more vibrant style with higher energy.  Like the earlier vintage, it is fairly oaky and offers plenty of potential with bottle age.  Serious Red."
95 POINTS 5 STARS -Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz, June 2016
"Dark, sturdy, concentrated blend of Gimblett Gravels cabernet sauvignon, malbec and merlot.  Rich array of blackcurrant, plum, spice and herb flavours, sweet-fruited and tightly structured, with a lingering finish."
4.5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, Nov/Dec 2016 issue
"Concentrated and engaging bouquet with ripe moody dark red berry fruits, sweet violets and plum, blackberry and vanilla pod; plenty of new oak and bold masculine complexity. On the palate – tense, youthful, concentrated and ripe with juicy dark berry and plum flavours, full-bodied, oaky and toasty, medium+ to high tannins, medium+ acidity, lengthy finish with complexity and presence."
96 POINTS -Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, The Shout FMCG Dec/Jan 2017
"The 2014 vintage is a dark, sturdy, concentrated blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. Sweet-fruited and tightly structured, it has a rich array of blackcurrant, plum, spice and herb flavours, with a lingering finish."
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's 2017 Buyers Guide
"Full, very dark, near impenetrable black-red colour with youthful purple hues.  This has a softly full and voluminous nose unfolding layers of ripe blackberry fruit along with blackcurrants and cassis liqueur, and suggestions of boysenberries, entwined with iron-earth elements and spicy, cedary oak.  Medium-full bodied, the palate features rich, succulent and luscious flavours of ripe blackberries intermixed with cassis and spices, unfolding iron-earth minerals and cedary oak.  The fruit sweetness is balanced by plenty of fine-grained tannin structure and grip, with underlying fresh, lacy acidity providing energy and drive.  The wine carries with power to a long and sustained, rich and plush finish of ripe black fruits, spices and oak cedar.  This is a rich and succulent fruited Merlot/Cabernet/Malbec blend with black fruits, spices and cedar on a well-structured and fresh palate."
5 STARS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Apr 2017
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 The Patriarch (a blend of 46% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Malbec) opens with notes of dried Mediterranean herbs, cloves and pencil shavings over a core of black and red plums, red currants and fresh blackberries. The medium-bodied palate packs-in the muscular red and black fruit flavors, with a solid frame of firm, chewy tannins and lively acid, finishing long with an herbal lift."
-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, June 2017
"Juicy black cherry flavors lead the way, with accents of pencil shavings and licorice.  The tannins are firm in the background, with sage and bay leaf notes lingering."
-Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com  2017
"Nice currant, plum, lifted bouquet. Dry. A good balance and good mouth-feel, with a ripe mid palate.  Quite creamy, good tannin structure, chewy and rich.  Nice wine.  A great, serious finish."
5 STARS TOP WINE -Simon Nash - MW, WineNZ magazine, Winter 2017 issue
"A blend of 46% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 19% malbec. There is a lot to like about this super concentrated blend that leads with beautifully floral, violet-scented merlot and also drives blueberry and blue plum fruits on the nose. Cabernet chimes in on the palate and brings a long structural thread framed by noble, fine tannins. Terrific depth."
94 POINTS - www.jamessuckling.com
Ripe, sweet, brooding and opulent. Densely packed black fruits and velvet tannins with savoury elements. Complex, elegant and a long spicy, liquorice finish.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. After an extended maceration period the new wines were drained to French oak barriques (45% new), to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials The Patriarch was blended after 11 months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 17 months in oak.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
PURE GOLD MEDAL - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2015
GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Awards Best Value 2016
GOLD MEDAL - New Zealand Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2016
GOLD MEDAL - Texsom International Wine Awards 2017
TROPHY - Champion Cabernet - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2016
TROPHY - Best New Zealand Wine - Wine 100 China July 2016
5 STARS - 96 POINTS - Bob Campbell, www.therealreview.com , June 2016
5 STARS, TOP 5 (1st) - Cuisine Magazine, July 2016 issue
5 STARS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Feb 2015
5 STARS - Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's 2017 Buyers Guide
4.5 STARS - Winestate Magazine, July/Aug 2015 issue
93 POINTS -Hawke's Bay 2013 Annual Vintage Selection, 2015
SILVER MEDAL - Spiegelau International Wine Competition 2015
PURE SILVER MEDAL - Bragato Wine Awards 2015
SILVER MEDAL - NZ International Wine Show 2015
SILVER MEDAL - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2016
SILVER MEDAL - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2017
SILVER MEDAL - NZ International Wine Show 2016
SILVER MEDAL - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2016
SILVER MEDAL - WSWA 74th Annual Convention and Exposition Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition 2017
"The 2013 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec.  Deeply coloured, it is concentrated and firmly structured, with deep, still very youthful blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, ripe, nutty and savoury.  It should age superbly."
5 STARS -Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz
"Gimblett Gravels fruit from the ‘Irongate’ vineyard, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec and 24% Merlot, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 18 months in 45% new French oak.  Very full, near saturated black-red colour with youthful purple hues.  The nose is finely concentrated with deeply packed aromas of ripe blackcurrant fruit and cassis interwoven with blackberries, spicy plums, dark herbs, lifted oak and earthy elements.  Medium-full to full-bodied, the palate is very concentrated and elegantly proportioned, with flavours of ripe, sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruit.  The fruit is supported by considerable extraction and structure, the tannins very fine-grained, ripe and flowery, lending finesse to the textures.  Layers of spicy and oaky detail enrich the fruit, and the palate unfolds iron-earth complexities on the very long and sustained finish.  This is a very concentrated, ripe, black fruited blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot with serious, fine structure and Gimblett Gravels iron and earth flavours."
5 STARS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Feb 2015
"Deep colour. Fragrant blackcurrant aromas with cedar, vanilla, graphite notes. Well concentrated, classical wine with smooth cassis flavours, fine grainy textures and underlying savoury vanilla notes. Builds up firm and tight, minerally and long."
93 POINTS -Hawke's Bay 2013 Annual Vintage Selection, 2015
"This dark Gimblett Gravels blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec is concentrated, with vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, ripe, nutty and savoury.  (One judge scored it five stars.)"
-Winestate Magazine, Nov/Dec 2015 issue
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2013 The Patriarch gives a classic cassis, plums and cedar nose, it a little youthfully subdued, with hints of baking spices and dried herbs.  Medium-bodied, it has taut, muscular fruit that tends towards the delicate side, with firm grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a little astringency and lingering herbal notes."
-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com, #224, Apr 2016
"Hawke's Bay cabernet sauvignon blends rarely get better than this.  Dense in colour it has a captivating nose of blackcurrants, red fruits, balanced sweet/smoky oak, and a hint of leaf austerity.  In the mouth it's ripe and intense, with complex flavours starting to develop ahead of lingering fragrant aftertaste. Superb New Zealand red."
5 STARS TOP 5  #1 -Cuisine Magazine, Issue #177, July 2016
"Deep colour. Plum, roasted dukkah, vanilla aromas. Medium concentrated yet sinuous in structure with red plum violet, fruits, fine chalky slightly bitter textures, savoury, roasted chestnut oak notes. Finishes firm."
-Andrew Caillard MW - Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection 2016
"A deep, dark and dense blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and merlot, with a core of sweet dark berry fruits, liquorice, tar and strong spicy oak.  A powerful red that promises to develop well.  One of the best examples of Patriarch that I can recall tasting."
96 POINTS 5 STARS -Bob Campbell, www.therealreview.com , June 2016
This wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, 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 six months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 13 months in oak.
This wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
5 STARS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Sept 2014
5 STARS - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz, Jan 2015
4.5 STARS - Cameron Douglas MS, NZ Liquor News/FMCG Business magazine, Feb 2015
4.5 STARS, 93 POINTS - Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz
"The 2012 vintage is a blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Deeply coloured, with a fresh, spicy, sweetly oaked bouquet, it is full-bodied and fresh, with youthful blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of dark chocolate and nuts, and good concentration.  Best drinking 2016+"
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper, www.michaelcooper.co.nz
"54% Malbec and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon from the ‘Gimblett Road’ vineyard, fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 13 months in 40% new French oak.  Very full, impenetrable black-red colour with youthful purple hues.  The bouquet is full and voluminous with fragrant and aromatic, ripe black fruits entwined with black plums and spices, unfolding complexing waves of jam, cedary oak and nuances of camphor.  Medium to medium-full bodied, the palate features mouthfilling flavours of black plums, currants and liquorice, along with cedar and spices.  The fruit is supported by very fine-grained tannins that lend a refined, dry mouthfeel to match the restrained fruit sweetness.  The wine flows smoothly and is enlivened by soft acidity, and carries to a long, sustained finish with ink, liquorice and black plum notes.  This is a full, dry, soft-textured, spicy, black-fruited Malbec and Cabernet blend."
5 STARS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Sept 2014
"A beautifully expressed Bordeaux-style red from the Gimblett Gravels district, the complex and immensely tempting bouquet shows dark plum, game, truffle and cigar box aromas, leading to a concentrated palate that's refined and focused, backed by velvety texture and plenty of fine, chalky tannins.  Lovely flow and harmony, and finishes linear and gratifying."
5 STARS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz, Jan 2015
"Good bright, dark red.  Aromas of currant and milk chocolate are complicated by menthol and pepper nuances.  Pliant and moderately concentrated, showing good lift and delicacy but also a slightly peppery herbaceousness that give the middle palate a green edge in the early going.  Boasts very good vinosity but will blend round out with bottle aging or will it lose its subtle sweetness first?"
-Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, www.vinousmedia.com, April 2015
"A balanced and noble bouquet with aromas of light to dark red berry fruits wrapped in a blanket of soft to medium oak, mild toasty vanilla moments, a touch of chocolate. On the palate – dry, firm and flavourful with medium+ tannins, medium+ (ish) acidity, quite complex and with a longer finish . Well made and very drinkable."
4.5 STARS -Cameron Douglas MS, NZ Liquor News/FMCG Business magazine, Feb 2015
"Vigorous, ripe nose. Sweet front palate. Quite mild and well balanced. Reminds me strongly of a well made red Loire. Light and fresh but spreads all over the palate and there is no greenness."
-Janice Robinson, winewriter, www.janicerobinson.com, 13 Feb 2015
"Juicy berry flavours with hints of pepper and smoky oak. An appealing wine with obvious Malbec character. This represents quite an achievement considering the challenges of the vintage. Should age reasonably well although it is certainly approachable now."
4.5 STARS 93 POINTS -Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz
Mouth-filling and fresh, with ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and nut flavours. Good concentration and complexity.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, 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 seven months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 13 months in oak.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Awards 2013
SELECTED -2011 Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection
5 STARS, 94 POINTS - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz, Nov 2013
92+ POINTS - Lisa-Perrotti Brown, eRobertParker.com #209, Oct 2013
GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014
5 STARS, 95 POINTS - Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz
GOLD MEDAL - Wine 100 Awards 2015
"This is Babich’s best red, regardless of the variety or vineyard, but all vintages have been grown in the company’s shingly vineyards in Gimblett Road, Hawke’s Bay. It is typically a dark, ripe and complex, deliciously rich red, matured in mostly French oak barriques (30 to 35 per cent new).  The 2011 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54 per cent), Merlot (32 per cent) and Malbec (14 per cent). Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling and fresh, with ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and nut flavours, showing good concentration and complexity. Best drinking 2014+"
4 STARS -Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2013
"Deep garnet colored with a hint of purple, the 2011 The Patriarch offers pronounced notes of crushed blackcurrants and blackberries on the nose with hints of pepper, dried Mediterranean herbs, menthol and violets. Medium-bodied with a good concentration of ripe blackberry flavors and a pleasant herbal, minty lift, it has a firm grip of grainy tannins, vibrant acid and a finish with very good persistence. Drink it now to 2020+."
92+ POINTS - Lisa-Perrotti Brown, eRobertParker.com #209, Oct 2013
"Deeply coloured, mouthfilling and supple blend of cabernet sauvignon (64%), merlot and malbec. Blackcurrant, plum, spice, herb and nut flavours, showing good complexity. Still very youthful."
-Winestate Magazine, July 2013
"Medium deep crimson. Plum, red currant aromas with violet notes. Supple sweet-fruited wine with plum red currant, roasted chestnut, white pepper flavours, plentiful chocolatey dry tannins, mid-palate richness and underlying savoury notes. Finishes grippy firm and persistent."
93 POINTS -Andrew Caillard, Annual Vintage Selection, Aug 2013
"A stylish Bordeaux-style red, the complex bouquet shows red/black plum, cassis, dried herb and beautifully infused cedary oak aromas. The palate is focused and structured with excellent mid palate weight, backed by plenty of fine, chalky tannins. The wine is elegantly poised, ensuring it's gradual development."
5 STARS 94 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz, November 2013
"Impressive red that struts its dominant CS component by combining elegance with impressive power.  Pure, Fine and focused red with blackberry, cedar and a hint of black olive character.  The fruit is supported by classy oak.  Great cellaring potential."
5 STARS 95 POINTS -Bob Campbell, www.bobcampbell.nz
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.
Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, 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 seven months then returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 13 months in oak.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
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
SELECTED -2010 Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection
GOLD MEDAL -Hawke's Bay Wine Awards 2012
92+ POINTS -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #203, Oct 2012
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL -China Wine & Spirits Awards Best Value 2013
"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
"This is Babich’s best red, regardless of the variety or vineyard, but all vintages have been grown in the company’s shingly vineyards in Gimblett Road, Hawke’s Bay. It is typically a dark, ripe and complex, deliciously rich red, matured in mostly French oak barriques (30 to 35 per cent new). The 2010 is a blend of Merlot (44 per cent), Cabernet Sauvignon (36 per cent) and Malbec (20 per cent). Deeply coloured, it’s very youthful, with a strong surge of vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours and ripe, supple tannins. It’s a very harmonious, finely structured wine, full of potential; open 2014+."
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2012
"The top red of one of the oldest wineries in the country, made using 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with Malbec and Cabernet Franc adding high colour intensity, savoury flavour intensity and body to this red which pays homage to Josip Babich - a teen when he founded this winery in the early years of last century."
-Joelle Thomson, Drinksbiz Magazine, July 2012
"Some excellent, rich, ripe, mulberry aromas layered with powerful, cedary oak. Has a very nice palate, too! Flavours of young varietal fruits the length of the palate."
4.5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, July/August 2012
"Babich's top Hawke's Bay cabernet is an inky, dark red with a nose and palate of density and power.  Black fruits, dark chocolate, spice and leathery characters mix it with some rustic "funky" notes.  It's medium-bodied, richly concentrated and complex."
4 STARS -Cuisine Magazine, Issue 154, Sept 2012 and Issue 160, Sept 2013
"Dark, strapping Gimblett Gravels blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and malbec.  Cedary bouquet with concentrated plum, spice and dried herb flavours, "meaty" streak from the malbec (20 per cent) and firm tannins."
-Winestate Magazine, Sept/Oct 2012
"Some light, fresh berry notes on the nose; quite floral. Nice straightforward ripe Cabernet flavours of blackcurrant, raspberry and spice with savoury notes balancing the ripe fruits.  This youthful wine is elegantly weighted, certainly no monster fruit-bomb but shows poise and balance.  Nicely textured, the tannins are as yet pretty youthful but should soften with time."
-WineNZ Magazine, Spring 2012
"A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 13% Malbec coming from the single Irongate vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels region, the 2010 The Patriarch presents a deep garnet-purple color and aromas of warm plums, fruit cake, blackberry preserves, anise and cedar with touches of dried herbs and pencil lead. Medium bodied, the taut, muscular fruit is well supported by a medium to firm level of grainy tannins and refreshing acid, finishing long. Approachable now, it should drink to 2020+."
92+ POINTS -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #203, Oct 2012
Our flagship wine has a warm, dark, and concentrated nose which captivatingly displays spice, blueberry, and cedar. Dense, dark fruits are intricately layered with silken tannins and pleasant notes of tar and cigar box. The palate is beautifully balanced and seamless and has a medium to full weight. Cassis, liquorice and black plum linger on the elegant finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon raised its hand once again this year to be the dominant variety for the Patriarch blend with Malbec adding earthiness and sweet fruit at 25%, while floral notes and enhanced elegance are the contribution of Cabernet Franc (25%). Select crop thinned parcels of fruit were hand harvested from the Babich Irongate vineyard, then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. Both the Cabernets received an extended maceration period on skins after ferment. The new wines were drained to French oak barriques, to mature. After several rack and returns and extensive tasting trials The Patriarch was blended. The wine spent a total of 13 months in oak. Minimal fining and filtering was employed prior to bottling.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
5 STARS, 19/20 POINTS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, April 2011
5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, July/August 2011
5 STARS, 94-96 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, June 2011
5 STARS, 93 POINTS - Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com, June 2011
5 STARS - Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2012
SILVER MEDAL - Spiegelau International Wine Competition 2011
4.5 STARS, 'TOP 5 NZ CABERNET' - Cuisine Magazine, Sept 2011
95 POINTS - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobert Parker.com #197, Oct 2011
90 POINTS- Wine Enthusuast Magazine, USA, Aug 2012
SELECTED - 2009 Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection
"The flagship red wine for Babich, honouring founder Josip Babich, made only in the best vintages, from the best parcels of Hawke’s Bay fruit, the blend varying for each release. The 2009 is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 25% Malbec from the ‘Gimblett Road’ site, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 13 months in mainly French oak barriques. Very full, densely dark, purple-hued ruby-red colour, this has a refined and concentrated nose of beautifully aromatic black fruits with spices, cedar and sweet oak. A wine combining elegance with great concentration, the fine powdery tannins indicate the latent power and potential of this wine. Superbly ripened blackcurrant fruit with cedar and spice notes, with layers of interest to unfold. This has the structure to develop well over the next 8-12+ years. Serve with roast lamb and hard cheeses."
19/20 POINTS 5 STARS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, April 2011
"One year after Gallipoli, Josip Babich founded Babich wines and this wine is made in his memory. He'd probably be stoked with the result if he were still around to drink it. It's concentrated, fine and elegant. There are sweet cassis and plum fruit on the nose with the cabernet franc grape adding a lifted herbal note. Finely tuned oak and tannins give a harmonious finish."
-Rebecca Gibb, NZ Herald, Good taste: A toast to the Anzacs, 24th April, 2011
"Dark, powerful Gimblett Gravels blend of cabernet sauvignon (50%), malbec (25%) and cabernet franc (25%). Highly fragrant, with coffee and spice aromas, mouthfilling body and fresh, concentrated blackcurrant, dark chocolate and plum flavours, showing the boldness and rich spiciness of malbec. Finely balanced, complex, savoury red; best drinking 2013+."
5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, July/August 2011
"This is outstanding. It's already exhibiting stunning complexity and intensity, even though the best is yet to come after many years in the bottle. The nose is beautifully perfumed, displaying dark plum, cassis, vanillin oak and cigar notes. It's powerful on the palate, yet restrained and poised, with velvety texture and loads of supple tannins. And the delicious flavours continues to evolve on the palate long after the wine is gone, indicating the wine has an enormous potential. 2009 The Patriarch is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 25% Malbec. At its best: 2015 to 2025."
5 STARS 94-96 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, June 2011
"A rich and warming red with strong blackberry, cassis, cedar, licorice and spice plus an equally strong seasoning of nutty oak. Surprisingly accessible for a wine of such generous proportions but with obvious cellaring potential."
5 STARS 93 POINTS -Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com, June 2011
"In Bordeaux they sometimes serve cabernets like this with poultry.  We like the idea of crispy roast chicken with roasted veges and shallots.  A blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc, it has more than a whiff of Bordeaux about it, with cassis, briar, sweet mint and leafy notes.  The palate is long with great balance."
4.5 STARS 'TOP 5' NZ CABERNET -Cuisine Magazine, September 2011
"Powerful, concentrated Gimblett Gravels blend of cabernet sauvignon (51%), cabernet franc (24%) and malbec (25%).  Deep, inky colour, with ripe blackcurrant, plum and dark chocolate flavours, fresh, firm and lingering.  Savoury and nutty, with good potential."
-Winestate Magazine, Sep/Oct 2011
"Blended of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 25% Malbec, the 2009 The Patriarch comes exclusively from the Gimblett Gravels sub-region. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has earthy / savory aromas of damp loam, black pepper, grilled duck and yeast extract over crushed black currants and blackberries. Medium bodied, this wine has crisp acidity, a firm level of fine-grained tannins, generous black fruit and spice flavors and great persistence. Approachable now, it will certainly reward cellaring and should drink to 2022+."
95 POINTS -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #197, Oct 2011
"Very robust colour with a dense aroma.  Palate is ripe and plush showing notes of blueberry; well-weighted, not too big and sweet with plenty of well-handled oak.  Texture is lovely and creamy showing exceptional balance and svelte, silky tannins.  A wine of substance and length."
SHORTLIST -WineNZ Magazine, Spring 2011
"This is Babich’s best red, regardless of the variety or vineyard, but all vintages have been grown in the company’s shingly vineyards in Gimblett Road, Hawke’s Bay. It is typically a dark, ripe and complex, deliciously rich red, matured in mostly French oak barriques (30 to 35 per cent new). The 2009 vintage is a very powerful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50 per cent), Malbec (25 per cent) and Cabernet Franc (25 per cent). Highly fragrant, with coffee and spice aromas, mouthfilling body and fresh, concentrated blackcurrant, dark chocolate and plum flavours, showing the boldness and rich spiciness of Malbec, it is finely balanced, complex and savoury."
5 STARS -Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2012
This wine has a dark, brooding and enticing nose. Complex berry fruit aromas integrate beautifully with notes of cigar box and a hint of mint. A finely focused and even wine. Dark and spicy fruit follows though onto the palate. A medium bodied wine with fine granular tannins. Pleasant dark woodland fruit finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon raised its hand again this year as the dominant grape for the blend. Malbec adds earthiness, sweet fruit, and balance at 39%. Select crop thinned parcels of fruit at our Gimblett Gravels ‘Irongate’ vineyard were hand harvested then fermented in small open vats and hand plunged. Both varieties received an extended maceration period on skins after ferment. The new wines were drained to French oak barriques, to mature for 12 months, and blended after extensive tasting trials. The wine spent a total of 18 months in oak. Minimal fining and filtering was employed prior to bottling.
This wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2011
5 STARS, 19/20 -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Jan 2011
5 STARS, 93 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb, 2011
4 STARS -TiZwine.com, September 2011
4 STARS, 90 POINTS -Bob Campbell, www.bobswinereviews.com, June 2011
“The 2008 is dark and very youthful, with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum and slight coffee flavours, good backbone and complexity, and the power to age. Open 2012+”
4.5 STARS -Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2011
"The ‘flagship’ red for Babich, made only in the best vintages, the blend varied to optimise the quality. The 2008 is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Malbec from the Gimblett Gravels and was matured in French oak barriques for 18 months. Dark, deep, purple hued ruby red in colour, this has a full, voluminous nose of well-ripened spicy black berry fruits, and cedary sweet oak with great depth. On palate medium-full bodied, showing near opulence with spicy, black plums and berry fruits and good oak lift. The flavours are very rich and are matched by the fine-grained extraction and structure. Layers of fruit flavours and sweet cedar unfold with breathing. This can be enjoyed now by way of its richness, but it should develop well over the next decade. Drink with roasted red meat as part of a fine dinner."
19/20 5 STARS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, Jan 2011
"It's restrained on the nose displaying gentle aromas of cassis, dark plum, game and spicy oak. The palate is ripe and firm with excellent mid palate weight and compact tannins providing a superb structure and a lengthy dry finish. Made from 61% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Merlot, this needs time to evolve. At its best: 2014 to 2020"
93 POINTS 5 STARS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb, 2011
"A fine, elegant red with cherry, cranberry, floral and nutty oak flavours. Powerful wine with a lengthy finish. Although moderately approachable now this wine appears to have an impressive future."
4 STARS 90 POINTS -Bob Campbell, www.bobswinereviews.com, June 2011
"Excellent colour, ripe, lifted nose with plums, red fruits and vanilla. The red fruits are more concentrated in the palate with elements of dusty herbs, liquorice and coconut. All this works well with the ripe, soft tannins to give a rounded, easy drinking wine."
4 STARS -TiZwine.com, September 2011
This is a serious yet warm, dark and inviting wine. The concentrated aromas of currants, dusty blackberries and cocoa excite the nose and lead to hints of dried herbs, violets and vanilla. Dark forest fruits, leather and spice arrive sumptuously on the palate and integrate perfectly with smooth, dense, mouth-coating tannins. Savoury notes linger on the satisfying and complete finish. A hand-crafted wine of quality that will age gracefully for many years.
Parcels of fruit were hand harvested at our Gimblett Gravels ‘Irongate’ vineyard, and hand plunged in traditional concrete vats. Some of the grapes underwent a cold soak prior to fermentation, with all receiving an extended maceration period on skins after ferment. The new wines were drained to small French oak barriques, to mature.
This award winning wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
GOLD MEDAL, 96 POINTS -Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition
SILVER MEDAL -Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2010
SILVER MEDAL -Hawke's Bay Wine Awards 2009
SILVER MEDAL -New Zealand International Wine Show 2010
5 STARS -Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wine 2010
5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, March 2010
5 STARS -Yvonne Lorkin, Hawke's Bay Today, 12 June 2010
5 STARS, 94 POINTS -Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com , 2010
4.5 STARS, TOP 5 - NZ Cabernet and Blends -Cuisine Magazine, Sep 2010
5 STARS, 18.5/20 -Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, Aug 2010
5 STARS, 95 POINTS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2010
4.5 STARS, TOP TIP -TiZwine.com, 30 August 2010
5 STARS, 18.5/20 -Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, Oct 2010
5 STARS, 96 POINTS -Gourmet Traveller Magazine, October 2010
89+ POINTS -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #191, Oct 2010
"The 2007 brings a return to form.  Dense and youthful in colour, it is powerful, with very concentrated blackcurrant and spice flavours, hints of coffee and dark chocolate, firm tannins, and obvious potential."
5 STARS -Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wine 2010
"Densely coloured, powerful and highly concentrated, this should be a 10-year wine - at least. A Hawke's Bay blend of cabernet sauvignon (49%), malbec (29%) and cabernet franc (22%), it is savoury and complex, with bold blackcurrant, spice, coffee and dark chocolate flavours, ripe, firm and long. Open 2012+."
5 STARS -Winestate Magazine, March 2010
"Named after Josip Babich, founder of Babich Wines in 1916, this offering is glossy, squid-ink black in colour and incredibly concentrated on the nose with black guava, smoky cedar and blackberry characters.  It's a blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc that's dense and powerfully built and only made in years when the fruit is exemplary."
5 STARS -Yvonne Lorkin, Hawke's Bay Today, 12 June 2010
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc from an excellent vintage. Cabernet's powerful cedar and blackberry flavours dominate against a background of plum and savoury oak. Serious red with an equally serious future."
5 STARS 94 POINTS -Bob Campbell, www.bobswinereviews.com , 2010
"Named in honour of winery founder Josip Babich, this Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec Cabernet Franc is a powerful wine, worthy of the cellar. Cassis and mixed berry notes meet spice and mocha on the nose, and the palate is warm, rich and densely textured. Needs time to blossom fully. Serve with rump steak."
4.5 STARS TOP 5 - NZ Cabernet and Blends -Cuisine Magazine, Sep 2010
"Ruby, carmine and velvet, not as dense as the top wines, but a lovely colour. Bouquet is floral with violets, again in the cassis and bottled black doris berry style, with fragrant and potentially cedary French oak adding complexity. Palate is intriguing, exceptional cassis, the floral quality extending right through beautiful gentle berry fruit, not as rich as some but elegant throughout. This is a real northern Medoc look-alike. It has been a long wait for Babich Patriarch to be cropped at a rate allowing the flavours of proper Bordeaux-like ripeness to be evident, and thus be truly a gold medal wine. This result is therefore very welcome, to someone who has monitored their cabernet sauvignons from the first release in the '70s."
5 STARS 18.5 POINTS (/20) -Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, Aug 2010
"A blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 22% Cabernet Franc, this exquisitely fine red shows plenty of power as well as grace. The nose is opulent and fragrant displaying dark plum, cassis, cedar and subtle spice characters. It's concentrated and richly flavoured on the palate with velvety texture and plenty of ripe tannins. A superbly gratifying wine. At its best: now to 2020."
95 POINTS 5 STARS -Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2010
"Babich's top of the range Bordeaux Blend and deservedly so. Built to last it has black cassis aromas that are joined in the palate by spicy plums. The results is a powerful dense wine with grippy tannins and great length. The perfect Winter Warmer."
4.5 STARS TOP TIP -TiZwine.com, 30 August 2010
"This is the company's flagship red wine. Crop levels are restricted, it is made only in exceptional vintages and the blending ratios vary according to the year. This one is 49:29:22 cabernet sauvignon, malbec, cabernet franc off the famed Gimblett Gravels area at Hawke's Bay.  The grapes were hand-picked, fermented in open concrete vats and the wine given extended maceration on skins after fermentation before being matured in French oak barriques.  Dense, deeply coloured with richly concentrated black fruits on the nose and a soft berry-and-vanilla-sweet palate, nicely balanced, supple and together and with soft, drying tannins suggesting mid-term cellaring potential.  The winemaker says he wants to make the Babich wines approachable and pleasing, easy drinking without any heroics. He's done it here."
-Graeme Phillips, The Mercury.com.au, Sept 2010
"Seems to have benefited from a liberal splash of Malbec.  Ripe, rich and full bodied with really nice dark-fruit flavours in good depth and concentration.  Then there are lashings of toasty oak, strapped together by firm, no-nonsense tannins.  An assertive, full-bodied wine with pleasing complexity and a long dry finish."
"A blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc, from an excellent vintage.  Cabernet's cedar and blackberry flavours dominate against a background of plum and savoury oak."
5 STARS 96 POINTS -Gourmet Traveller Magazine, October 2010
"This was the second of the complete wines in the Lincoln tasting. It opened beautifully, with even more harmony, delicacy and finesse than in the Hot Reds review. It is a marvelous example of a Medoc / Ch Cantemerle weight of classed Bordeaux, with remarkable fragrance and near-violets florality, all beautifully fine-grained. It is exciting to see Hawke's Bay blends developing exactly the same variation in demonstrated style as Bordeaux, where provided the basic quality parameters are observed, the variation is celebrated. With a straight malbec in the introductory lineup, you could see the zingy character it added to the Patriarch, but blind, one would be hard-put to identify that component. This is an elegant Hawke's Bay blend to cellar 5 – 15 years, perhaps longer. It is the greatest red wine ever to emerge from the Babich stable."
5 STARS 18.5 POINTS (/20) -Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, Oct 2010
"Flagship wines make particularly special presents, such as Babich's impressive blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc from an excellent vintage. It's opulent and velvety textured, with layers of concentrated and juicy blackcurrant fruit seasoned with roasted spice."
-Jo Burzynska, WineNZ Magazine, Dec 2010
"The 2007 The Patriarch is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 22% Cabernet Franc. Very deep garnet-purple, the oak is still standing out over notes of warm black currant, plum, balsamic, smoked game, underbrush and pencil shavings. Taut and muscular in the mouth, the high acid and medium-firm fine tannins lend very good structure to the medium-full body, though the flesh is slightly ungenerous. The finish is long. With another 1-2 years in bottle this may become a better balanced wine and my score will seem conservative. Drink 2012 to 2018+."
89+ POINTS -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #191, Oct 2010
This is a Cabernet Sauvignon predominant blend that exudes style. Sweet dark fruits, cigar box and underlying quality oak bound from the glass. The palate is complex and generous with a spicy fruitcake, chocolate and blackberry entry that is layered with leather and tar notes. The experience does not stop as the generous palate develops a gorgeous fine cocoa and leather finish that lingers seamlessly, teasing, demanding further inspection. Pure refined class.
Parcels of fruit were hand harvested at our Gimblett Gravels ‘Irongate’ vineyard, and hand plunged in traditional concrete vats. Some of the grapes underwent a cold soak prior to fermentation, with all receiving an extended maceration period on skins after ferment. The new wines were drained to small French oak barriques, to mature. Bottling took place just prior to Christmas in 2007 and the wine was stored for one year in temperature-controlled cellars prior to release.
This wine is ideal with roasted red meats. It makes a good partner for a whole fillet beef, roasted rare. It is also perfect with a tasty winter casseroled stew.
5 STARS, 93 POINTS -Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com
91 POINTS -Neal Martin, Wine Advocate Issue #184, Sep 2009
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Malbec (16%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). Elegant, supple wine with an appealing array of flavours suggesting red berry, floral, mixed spices and classy oak. Very impressive red with a structure of ripe tannins that allows access to complex flavours while assuring further ageing potential."
5 STARS 93 POINTS -Bob Campbell MW, www.bobswinereviews.com
"The 2006 Patriarch has a well-defined nose: white pepper sprinkled over ripe blackberry and raspberry with a touch of damson. Good definition. The palate is well-defined with superb harmony and length. This is an excellent wine: primal and surly but fanning out on the finish. It should drink over 3-8 years and represents great value. "
91 POINTS -Neal Martin, Wine Advocate Issue #184, Sep 2009
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