Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2023

Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognized wines exclusively from its Hawke's Bay vineyards. The Estate's ownership varied frequently until John and Wendy Buck acquired it in 1978. John and Wendy instigated a twenty-year development program, which commenced with the restoration of the original winery building and the replanting of all of the original vineyards, as well as the acquisition of new vineyard sites.

Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning ‘Eye of the Dawn’) that sailed the Auckland – Sydney – Wellington route in the late 1930s. The Awatea was requisitioned as troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

The parcels of grapes were destemmed before a traditional warm-plunged fermentation and extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then run to new and seasoned French oak barrels for 15 months. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in October 2023, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2024. The final blend is 33% cabernet sauvignon, 52% merlot and 15% cabernet franc.

With a gleaming crimson core and ruby rim, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’23 is enticingly perfumed with blackberry, bay, violets, and vanilla. The satisfying palate is detailed, poised and texturally rewarding, interplaying plum, black olive and sandalwood notes with salinity, refreshing acidity and bright tannin length. It has a captivating elegance that is classically Te Mata.

The 2023 Awatea Cabernets Merlot comprises 52% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Aromatically, this wine is thrilling: dusty cassis, bramble, raspberry pip, blood/iodine, sweet tobacco, raw cocoa, violet perfume, tarragon and fennel and a hint of hazelnut/nutmeg. In the mouth, the wine is savory, structural, spicy and chewy, with a ductile splay of tannin that moves across the palate and through the finish. The palate speaks of structure and shape, while the fruit is mostly on the nose at this early stage. This will evolve beautifully in bottle over time, and as the bottle I am tasting here today was bottled four weeks ago, no doubt your bottle will look more polished and sleek. As it is, I love it, but I am sure I will like it more in time. It is a magnificent wine and a tremendous value. - Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, 96 Points.

Plum, raspberry, boysenberry, a slight Cab Franc and/or vintage grassiness, nutty and pencilly, with some floral notes, aniseed and spice. Medium-bodied, bramble fruit (fresh raspberry in particular), some ripe tomato tang, tobacco, a bit of grainy chew to tannin, but the line of acidity is so lovely and crisp – rain-washed and fresh – offering a distinct ‘mineral’ character. Length is excellent. It’s understated, with a classic feel, a sort of bright ‘luncheon claret thing happening, or so I think. It has perfume and presence. So while it’s a somewhat different expression of Awatea, I still like it very much. In summary, it’s a lovely wine to drink. - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 94 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Country - New Zealand
Region - Hawkes Bay
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%