Vintage 2017 began with a settled and dry Spring resulting in great flowering and a corresponding excellent fruit set. Dry drought like conditions continued into January providing terrific fruit flavours and tannins before a number of intense periods of rainfall, culminating in the arrival of Cyclone Debbie wreaked havoc with the vintage. Similar to 2016 careful attention to detail in the vineyard paid off in what was another challenging vintage!
Composed of a selection of over 20 different vineyard sites planted in the five traditional varieties of Bordeaux the 2017 Ironclad is a careful selection of the very best fruit from the vintage. As with all our vineyards the fruit is carefully hand harvested and then sorted again in the winery before stem removal and fermentation of whole berries. Only pumped over twice a day the extraction is careful and can continue for over 30 days. Once the perfect balance has been achieved the wines are pressed directly to barrel and remain on gross lees for 20 months undergoing a natural malolactic in the Spring. After ageing the wines are then selected for blending into the Ironclad.

Tasting Notes 

Epic lift, dark dense savoury and complex the perfume of the 2017 Ironclad unfurls from the glass. The palate is a similarly complex, a deep and mysterious character with layers of flavour from black berry, cassis, exotic spice, graphite, mushroom and a touch of salt liquorice…fresh in its acid profile and with a good firm handshake the 2017 Ironclad is a spectacular wine from a difficult vintage.