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Te Mata Awatea Cabernet/Merlot 2018

Te Mata Awatea Merlot2017

£31.50

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Deep magenta with a crimson edge, this is signature Awatea - a modern Hawke’s Bay cabernet with deep, pure fruit and bright, floral aromatics. Roses, violets, wild blackberry and dark plum, intertwined with notes of aniseed and thyme.

Why we love it: 

Little brother to the iconic Coleraine.

Drink with: 

Winter beef stew.

Tech

Country
Vintage
2017
Blend Info.
45% Cab Sav, 41% Merlot 14% Cab Franc
Alcohol by Vol.
14%
Bottle Vol.
750ml
Serving Temp.
12 - 17 degrees
Closure
Cork

Producer

Te Mata

Established in 1896, ‘Te Mata Estate’ is one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries and without a doubt one of the most iconic producers. Te Mata is a family owned winery located in Hawke’s Bay that has been in with the Buck family for over 30 years. The Buck family are responsible for catapulting ‘Te Mata Estate’ into icon status by producing arguably New Zealand’s most collected Red Wine, a wine described by Jancis Robinson as a “New Zealand national treasure”.

‘Te Mata Estate Coleraine’ is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominate blend with Merlot & Cabernet Franc. From it’s very first vintage in 1982 Coleraine established itself to New Zealand and later to the world as one of the finest wines New Zealand can produce. The Coleraine is often compared to some of the very best wines from Bordeaux and the 1998 vintage is the first New Zealand wine to make Decanter’s wine legends list. 

From their 10 vineyards across Hawke’s Bay, including sites in the Havelock Hills and the Bridge Pa Triangle, ‘Te Mata Estate’ excels in the production of Chardonnay, Viognier, Gamay Noir and Syrah and of course the bordeaux varieties. One of the best examples of Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay available in the UK is the ‘Elston Chardonnay’ which showcases Hawke’s Bay’s strengths for producing wines with finesse and true varietal expressions. 

For more information on Te Mata and their wines you can visit the Te Mata Estate website here.

Region

Hawke’s Bay

Back in 1851, Hawkes Bay was the first region in New Zealand to have a winery established, ‘The Mission Estate’. But it didn’t stop there, when it comes to wine production, Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s second largest region, with a 50/50 split between the red and white wines, a fantastic variety of styles flow from its vineyards. The areas tops reds are Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, typically boasting subtle herbaceous notes and intense berry/cassis flavour.

Being New Zealand’s oldest wine region mixed with the fact the majority of vineyards are still family owned results in a rich culture with wild variation between each vintner and the ethos behind their bottles. Naturally, this has drawn the attention of the public and with numerous trails that highlight the artisan producers and Art Deco architecture wine tourism has excelled in the area.

Gimblett Gravels is Hawkes Bay’s wine area with the most fame. Although unplanted until the early 1980’s as it was common belief high quality grapes couldn’t be grown in the area, methods improved and tastes changed and the area come into its own. In 2001 winegrowers and producers united to form the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association, with this unity, the association was able to promote the areas wines to the world stage. The associations brand is based on the French concept of terroir, abiding by the strict classification rules, primarily governed by soil type. Gimblett Gravels was the first New World district to receive this designation, with the Gimblett Gravels wine growing district covering over 800ha, being stringently based on the gravel based soils originating from the old Ngaruroro River exposed after heavy flooding in the 1860s.