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Overview:The vines which provide fruit for The Patriarch are designated in the vineyard during winter pruning and carefully assessed until harvest. The level of crop is controlled by `green harvesting` to ensure ripe premium quality fruit packed with concentrated flavours. This is the last vintage of the Patriach Chardonnay every made.Grapes: 100% ChardonnayRegion: Hawke`s BayWinemakers: Joe Babich and Adam HazeldineRecommended Food:The Patriarch Chardonnay can be enjoyed with a variety of foods. Delightful with roast chicken or ham off the bone.Recommended Cellaring: 4-6 yearsProduction Notes:The grapes were hand harvested in early March at 24 brix transported to the winery in small bins and whole bunch pressed. After settling for 12 - 24 hours the juice was moved into new and one year old French oak barrels. To ensure a controlled ferment these barrels were housed in a refrigerated room. Two thirds of the barrels were innoculated with yeast and the other third allowed to undergo wild ferment. Following the alcoholic ferment the wine partially underwent a secondary malolactic ferment. After 10 months in oak on lees with frequent stirring each barrel was assessed. Those barrels reaching Patriarch quality were blended together and cold stabilised. The wine was bottled in late February 2001.Tasting Notes:Bright gold colour ripe stone fruit and nutty biscuity characters on the nose balanced with subtle oak. A clean even palate with pleasant weight warm and well balanced with good structure. It has a great length and refreshing citrus finish.Awards:'CUISINE' TOP TEN NZ CHARDONNAYS (91/100) (****)Reviews:Babich`s flagship Chardonnay receives special attention in the vineyard and winery to justify its exalted status. Made from grapes grown in the Gimblett Gravels district the wine is big with complex Burgundy-like subtlety and persistence. It shows all the hallmarks of greatness with one final factor bottle age now needed to display the wine at its best.- `CUISINE` Magazine May 2002Babich premium label for top vintages only. A finely tuned wine subtle alive quite generous in its fruit and starting to open up well. Plenty of alcohol but like the oak this is barely noticeable in the impact of the fruit intensity. Ripe fruit and low yields are clear with some lees stirring affect offer a delicious serious wine for the Chardonnay enthusiast. In a word: Top Babich label from top vintages only. A serious Chardonnay for the enthusiast well-fruited and intense; delicious!- Peter Saunders FOOD & BEVERAGE TOP 10 September 2002Light lemon straw. Fine fragrant nose deep and pure and laced with sweetly spiced oak showing ripe citrus amongst the highlights. Lovely fruit impact is grapefruit touched with a dash of tropicals and creamy nut kernel flavour mid palate texture. Big wine with the intensity to take it long and muscular. Has reserves of detail deep inside and a very oaky finish at present but that should moderate with time. Smart.(7/10)- Keith Stewart SOMMNET.COM 11th September 2002 |
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