Product Line - New Zealand
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Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2022Here’s we have 44% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc. I asked which Merlot clone they have in the ground at Te Mata, and it’s Entav, which is one of the better ones.
Boysenberry, dusty spice, floral aromatics, tobacco, leaf and mint. Medium-bodied, powdery tannin, very ‘mineral’ acidity, bright but sitting in the wine well, raspberry and plum, complex and chalky firm on a long finish, a little seaweed in the mix. Crisp. Very fine wine. Needs a few more years in bottle. 94+ GARY WALSH, wine front
2022Cabernet BlendsNew Zealand$52.00 As low as $46.80 -
Te Mata Coleraine Cabernet Merlot 2023The 2023 Coleraine comprises 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This cuvée is not made to a recipe, rather as a selection of the best from each vintage. In 2023, due to the weather induced by Cyclone Gabrielle, which landed in early February (the second or third), the strongest performer was the Cabernet Sauvignon due to bunch architecture, small berries, thick skins and, in this case, the low-vigor rootstocks and the chicory in between the rows. Te Mata invests heavily into research and development in the vineyards, which really assists in a vintage like 2023, which imposes challenges. The elevation in all aspects of this wine from the already tremendously impressive Awatea is significant. Here, the tannins have a finer grain, the fruit is more persistent and the package is far more integrated and seamless. With raspberry, iodine, crushed shells, nori, pressed flowers, new lead pencil, tobacco, bramble and cassis, it is magnificent. Raw cocoa and the gentle and subtle creep of game/gristle/blood and sweet marrow indicate its direction later in life. I love this wine. I think I write that every time I taste it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. (98) ERIN LARKIN, Wine Advocate
Stunning bouquet ... engaging and captivating. The palate exhibits immense concentration and
presence, superbly enhanced by silky texture and layers of chalky tannins. The acidity is perfectly pitched and provides freshness to this long-living wine. A wine of meticulous precision and undeniable sophistication. (98) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit2023Cabernet BlendsNew Zealand403$165.00 As low as $148.50 -
Trinity Hill The Gimblett Bordeaux Blend 2019Aromas of dark berries and hay, tobacco and gravelly soils, there’s a core of concentration and power with new oak and violets, red berries and energy. Complex, youthful and engaging. On the palate - though very primary still there’s a silky textured core of fruit contrasted by polished tannins and salivating acidity. The sweetness of new barrel adds depth and complexity. As the wine relaxes in glass the flavours and textures become more intense and focused coating the palate with flavour and concentration. A lengthy finish, lovely mouthfeel and length. Excellent drinking from late 2023/2024 through 2035. (96) CAM DOUGLAS MW
Trinity Hill's 2018 The Gimblett is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new French oak for 21 months. The floral overtones of the Franc really show up on the nose, while the palate is more about cassis and a streamlined, concentrated, linear presentation. Medium to full-bodied, it adds softly dusty tannins on the finish, along with hints of mocha and vanilla. Approachable now, it should still be going strong in a decade's time. JOE CZWERWINSKI, The Wine Advocate2019Cabernet BlendsNew Zealand403$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Te Mata Coleraine Cabernet Merlot 2021The 2021 Coleraine exhibits a commanding presence and majestic poise. The bouquet reveals classic aromas of cassis, dark plum and violet with whispering nuances of cedar and cigar. There are hints of warm spices, compounding the pleasure upon inhalation. The palate is bold and graceful at once, enhanced by plush texture and multi-layered mouthfeel, beautifully framed by refreshing acidity and fine chalky tannins. Robust and substantial with a great line and length, which seem to go on to infinity. This youthful wine is already impossible to resist, but time will reward those who can wait. In sports, they often talk about ‘The Greatest of All Time’, or 'The GOAT'. This 2021 Coleraine is undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine. (100) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc. Because I care, I just nipped down to the cellar to open a bottle of the 2020 Coleraine to compare and contrast with the 2021. The 2020 is packed with tannin, texture, earthiness, and power, while the 2021 is brighter, a bit more frisky in acidity, with more leafy perfume. A little more flamboyant, but equal. It’s not a competition, more of a love in. The 2021 may well be the ‘better’ wine in time, though it’s kind of hard to tell, and may just come down to personal preference.
Dark and intense, lots of perfume, red and black fruits, tobacco, a leafy pop that’s pure varietal class, creamy oak, lead pencils, aniseed and spice. Medium to full-bodied, a flood of flavour, super ‘mineral’ feel to the acidity, tannin is superb, and the finish is so long. Light but so dense. There’s a fresh raspberry juiciness here too, and an extra dimension of tension and energy. All the graphite and presence. Incredible wine. (97+) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2021Cabernet BlendsNew Zealand403$165.00 As low as $148.50