Man O’ War Ironclad

2022, Waiheke Island New Zealand

Bordeaux style red blend from Waiheke Island
93/100 (Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review)
Named after 19th Century battleships fitted with plates of armour
"Vintage 2022 was excellent for Bordeaux reds...2022 Ironclad is untamed in the best sense of the word" (Man O' War)

Man O’ War Ironclad is named after a 19th century battleship fitted with plates of armour. And like those olden day war ships this super Waiheke Island red is a thing of real power!

Produced from the iron rich hillside vineyards of the eastern end of Waiheke Island. Man O’ War Ironclad is a Bordeaux style red blend of Merlot (44%), Cabernet Franc (21%), Petit Verdot (18%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and a splash of Malbec (2%)

One for the lover of big, powerful reds. They don’t call it Ironclad for nothing you know! Master of Wine Bob Campbell has given this a score of at least 95/100 for eight of the last eleven vintages! Now that’s consistency!

The Man O’ War crew said “Vintage 2022 was excellent for Bordeaux reds…2022 Ironclad is untamed in the best sense of the word, with dark fruits; plums and berries, wildflowers, crushed rock and iodine creating
a complex and lifted aroma profile…The power of the vintage has been tempered at blending with a rare dominance of Merlot over Cabernet Franc giving the wine good early accessibility but clearly a wine suited to ageing.”

Their 2022 release has been fired from the canon in all its glory. Drink now or lay it down in the cellar for 6-10 years from vintage.