2018 | Te Mata Estate | Awatea Cabernets - Merlot

Dark and bright, Awatea Cabernets-Merlot 2018 is an inky purple with an electric crimson edge. From a warm and dry vintage, Awatea 2018 shows ripe blackberry and blackcurrant aromatics with elements of vanilla creme and sandalwood. On the palate there’s a banquet of plum, raspberry, dried herbs and lingering dark cherry, set out across cedar and cocoa powder tannins.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Awatea Cabernets-Merlot is a bit leafy on the nose, with herbal, tobacco-tinged aromas accenting cassis and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied and supple on the palate, finishing long, silky and mouthwatering.

• James Suckling: There’s a very attractive, cedary edge to this with red cherries, redcurrants and blueberries, as well as darker plum and cocoa notes. The palate is so composed and fresh and has a vivid, detailed and neatly layered feel.

Producer Information

Te Mata Estate is one of the Hawke's Bay's more renowned – and historic – wine producers. It makes a range of wines from classic varieties like Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but is best known for its Bordeaux blends, and in particular Coleraine, which is one of New Zealand's most collectable wines. The estate was originally part of the Te Mata Station, a landholding established by John Chambers in 1854. In the 1890s, his son Bernard began planting the north-facing hills around the estate to vine and converted the stables to a winery. Te Mata, named for the neighboring Te Mata Peak (Te Mata O Rongokako), was established in 1896. Te Mata has vineyards throughout the Hawke's Bay. The estate itself is in the Havelock Hills, and has around 15 hectares (37 acres) worth of vines across five vineyards just outside the town of Havelock North. These are on north-facing slopes with free-draining alluvial soils, and are well-suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Coleraine is made from grapes from the best plots of these vineyards. In addition to this, Te Mata also has a 210-hectare (520-acre) vineyard in the Woodthorpe Terraces subregion (part of the wider Tutaekuri River valley in northern Hawke's Bay) and in the Bridge Pa Triangle (both the smaller, 15-hectare/37 acre Bullnose and Isosceles vineyards are located here). Te Mata's latest vineyard acquisitions include two plots in the warmer Gimblett Gravels winegrowing area. In terms of wines, Te Mata's flagship label is Coleraine, a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend, with a proportion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that changes depending on the vintage conditions. It is aged for up to 20 months in predominantly new French oak. There are numerous other top wines in the portfolio including the Bullnose Syrah, the Cape Crest barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc, Elston Chardonnay, and Awatea, a Bordeaux blend which is effectively a second wine to Coleraine. A Zara Viognier is also produced, as is the more recent Alma Pinot Noir. Te Mata also has a range of more accessible varietal and blended wines made from Syrah, Merlot Gamay Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, all sourced from estate vineyards.

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