MAN O’ WAR IRONCLAD 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Ironclad is named in honour of the 19th Century warships characterised by the iron armour bolted onto their wooden hulls, much as iron courses through the veins of our warm clay hillside vineyards.

The 2021 Ironclad is ripe and generous in style which can be attributed to the very ripe Cabernet Franc from Ponui Island making up 40% of the blend. Harvest on Ponui is dictated by the tide and the fruit can often get incredibly ripe yet retains its integrity and varietal character. The bold flavours are balanced with some very firm tannins which draw out the finish and, along with the natural vibrancy of the Petit Verdot, provides balance to the richness.

The 2021 is a very hedonistic wine seemingly fruit forward and rich but there are layers of complexity that revel themselves as you journey through the bottle, layers of aroma and flavour and of structure; acidity, warmth, tannin and a paradoxical freshness that ebbs and flows throughout the tasting experience. A wine that will cellar incredibly well. Dark black and red berry fruits, graphite, new leather, smoke, spice, and the smell of the sea."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, June 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"A delicious wine from start to finish, the bouquet is fille with scents of dark berries and smoky oak, graphite and toasty wood, chocolate and blueberries, violets and plums, blackberry and dark olive, leather and five spice. Firm and dry with a backbone of acidity and tannins, the core of flavours is a juxtaposition between mouthfeel, texture and fruit concentration. Well made, complex and lengthy. Best drinking from 2026 through 2036."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

5 Stars & 95/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2020 Vintage)
"A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and cabernet sauvignon that combines density with complexity. Alcohol sweetness balances ripe tannins to give a pleasantly dry finish. Accessible now but should develop well with bottle age."

96/100 & #18 Top 100 NZ Wines of 2022, James Suckling, November 2022 (2019 Vintage)
"Very high-toned dark-fruit aromas of blackcurrants, blueberries, flowers and stone. It’s full-bodied with a compact palate and fantastic finish. Cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, and malbec. Drinkable now, but better in three to five years."