TE MATA AWATEA 2022

Far from being in the shadow of Coleraine, Te Mata Awatea is a superb wine in its own right. ​A New Zealand classic that has the win win of being wonderfully perfumed and delicious in its youth but also carries ability to age gracefully for over a decade, not to mention the more modest price tag making it excellent value.

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"A deep ‘guardsmen red’, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’22 captivates with its nose of blackberry and bay leaf, ripe red currants, and sea spray to instantly engage the senses. On the palate this interplay of red and dark fruit continues with roses, chocolate and black olive with vanilla, cedar and a faint menthol character, layered over a core of perfectly ripe Black Doris plum. Moreish acidity brightens the wine, lifting the classical varietal elements of Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’22 and its fine, powdery, tannin profile. This is a wine of balance, length and appeal, with the clear ability to evolve even further in bottle."

5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, January 2022 (2022 Vintage)
"The classic Bordeaux-like bouquet is immediately seductive, showing blackcurrant, sweet cherry, thyme, floral and elegant oak aromas on the nose. The palate has a gorgeous presence and persistency, wonderfully complemented by fleshy texture and loads of polished tannins. This is an irresistible Awatea offering drinkability as well as potential to evolve to provide even greater complexity. Outstanding value for money. A blend of 44% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon & 14% Cabernet Franc. At its best: 2025 to 2037."

95+/100 Erin Larkin, Robet Parker's Wine Advocate (2022 Vintage)
"This is routinely a superb wine, svelte and supple. There's raspberry pip, nori, dired herbs (thyme, lavender, etc), white flowers, coal dust, star anise, licorice. The palate is shaped by ductile, ferruginous tannins, which contribute a bloody purity. It's a sensational wine, grossly underpriced, and it is an absolute pleasure to drink. A sensational wine."

94+/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, December 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"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."

94/100 Huon Hooke (2022 Vintage)
"Deep and bright purple-red colour with a very fresh, youthful and somewhat undeveloped fruit-driven bouquet of raspberry, blueberry, violet and mulberry, the palate elegantly formed and medium-full bodied, with fine powdery tannins that dry the finish cleanly. A pristine, pure-fruited style of cabernet blend with medium length and lovely balance."

5 Stars Michael Cooper, February 2022 (2022 Vintage)
"Positioned below its Coleraine stablemate in Te Mata's hierarchy of Hawke's Bay, claret-style reds, Awatea is grown at Havelock North and in the Bullnose Vineyard, inland from Hastings. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it is hand-harvested and matured for 15 to 18 months in French oak barriques (partly new). Compared to Coleraine, in its youth Awatea is more seductive, more perfumed, and tastes more of sweet, ripe fruit, but it is more forward and slightly less concentrated. The wine can mature gracefully for many years, but is also typically delicious in its youth. The distinctive, very graceful 2022 vintage offers typically great value. Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling, with rich plum and blackcurrant flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, good tannin backbone, and a long, finely structured, very harmonious finish. Already highly approachable, it should be at its best for drinking 2026+."

93/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, March 2023 (2022 Vintage)
"A blend of 44% merlot, 42% cabernet sauvignon and 14% cabernet franc. An appealing layer of herb and berry fruit with a seasoning of spicy oak. Quite a complex wine that is more vinous than fruity. A worthy lieutenant to Coleraine."