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Buy OnlineOf all of Te Mata's incredible wines, Cape Crest might be the one we drink the most of.
Te Mata describes this as a ‘unique expression of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Modelled on dry white Bordeaux, this is a blend of 86% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris fermented in a mix of new and seasoned French oak barrels and aged on lees for a further 11 months. The 2024 is something pretty special with perfect balance and structure, along with incredible texture and length.
Winery notes (2024 Vintage)
"White diamond at its core with flickering lemon lights, Cape Crest ’24 opens with expressive grapefruit, lime blossom, and white currant, lifted by hints of guava and warm citrus brioche. Fine and long, the palate surges with layers of nectarine, lemon oil, and ripe tropical fruit threaded with notes of sea salt, flint, and subtle toasted cedar. Cape Crest ’24 is layered, seamless, and beautifully focused with striking clarity and drive, delivering signature ripeness and complexity alongside a refreshing, long and mineral-edged finish.
The separate parcels were each destemmed and lightly crushed, then cooled before a brief period of skin contact. Following pressing and cold-settling, they were all run to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for fermentation and maturation, with 36% being new oak. The resulting wines were aged on lees, with regular stirring, for a further 11 months before bottling in February 2025. Cape Crest ’24 is a blend of 86% sauvignon blanc, 9% semillon and 5% sauvignon gris."
5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, February 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"The enticing bouquet showcases aromas of kaffir lime, mango, almond meal, and white flowers. It’s wonderfully weighted and focused on the palate, delivering fleshy texture and beautifully pitched acidity, leading to a persistent, exuberant finish. It’s powerfully expressed with intensity and vibrancy, while remaining harmonious and elegant, with stunning precision and a great line and length."
95/100 Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com, Wine Advocate, June 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"On the nose, the wine offers white chocolate, quinine, lime zest, white flowers, jasmine, fennel and aniseed. The palate is expansive yet controlled, with a saline, mouthwatering line of acidity that carries long through the finish. The press cut was taken earlier in the cycle to preserve/protect the natural acidity and freshness. The wine was fermented from approximately 550 to 600 liters of free-run juice, with no malolactic fermentation employed. It matured for 11 months in French oak, 30% of which was new. This marks the second year of the estate’s new-barrel program, with 35% second-use oak and the balance third- and fourth-fill barrels. The result is a wine of authority and detail: it is concentrated, architectural and deeply satisfying. This is excellent."
94+/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, December 2025 (2024 Vintage)
"Juicy gooseberry, guava and pink grapefruit, a herbal edge lends a slight thistle grassiness, floral notes, light spice. It’s lively, great texture here, some chalky things, a little gloss, blackcurrant, ripe grapefruit acid with a spicy finish of excellent length, and I like that light grip on exit. This is yet another very good release."
94/100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (2024 Vintage)
"Aromas of jasmine, Meyer lemons, green melon and lavender. So fresh and rather delicate. Medium-bodied with crunchy fruit and tangy acidity. Crisp and vivid."
Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2026 (2024 Vintage)
"This wine also has a touch of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. 100% barrel-fermented and aged. Immediate power and intensity, more pronounced barrel ferment complexities, a definitive core of pineapple, ripe citrus and fleshy peach ideas. A backbone of acidity, saline and salivating, bright and fresh. A perfect balance of fruit and structure. Delicious and ready. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2030."
