Dark-fruited and warmly spiced, with layers of blackberry, mulberry and plum lifted by anise, nutmeg and a touch of vanilla. Subtle chocolate adds depth and warmth.

Sweet-fruited on entry, carrying dense yet finely knit tannin. Juicy black fruits and Doris plum build through the mid-palate with notes of leather and spice, giving a sense of power within an elegant frame. Long, dark and complex to close.

Select, crop-thinned parcels of fruit were hand-harvested from our 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. Following extensive tasting trials, The Patriarch was blended after four months and returned to oak. The wine spent a total of 16 months in barrel.

Serve with Slow-braised lamb shoulder with plum, star anise & rosemary or Roasted beetroot & charred onion with anise, cacao & balsamic.