Te Mata Estate Awatea Hawke's Bay Cabernet Merlot 2020

Te Mata Estate Awatea Hawke's Bay Cabernet Merlot 2020French oak Ripe raspberry Dark chocolate Velvety tannins "A blend of cabernet sauvignon 54%, merlot 34% and cabernet franc 12%. Elegant wine with blackcurrants, rose petals, fresh herbs, cedar wood and spicy oak (among others). Inevitably, Awatea will be compared to its big brother Coleraine. It stands up well particularly when price is factored in" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Jan 2022 "Without question, the best Awatea ever

• French oak
• Ripe raspberry
• Dark chocolate
• Velvety tannins

"A blend of cabernet sauvignon 54%, merlot 34% and cabernet franc 12%. Elegant wine with blackcurrants, rose petals, fresh herbs, cedar wood and spicy oak (among others). Inevitably, Awatea will be compared to its big brother Coleraine. It stands up well particularly when price is factored in" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Jan 2022

"Without question, the best Awatea ever made. It’s immediately inviting on the nose showing blackcurrant, sweet plum, subtle tobacco, floral and cedar aromas, followed by a wonderfully weighted palate displaying terrific fruit power and density. It’s sturdy and robust with silky texture and loads of cocoa tannins. A blend of 54% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot12% cabernet franc. Exceptional value. Best: 2024 to 2036" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2022

"Offering top value, this deeply coloured, highly fragrant red is mouthfilling, with concentrated ripe flavours of blackcurannts, plums, herbs and spices, finely integrated oak, and a tighly structured, persistent finish" Michael Cooper, Listener Magazine, Feb 2022

An intense bright-dark crimson, Estate Cabernet/Merlot ’20 shows immediate ripe raspberry, wild blackberry and black plum, all set against dark chocolate and velvety tannins. Sumptuous layers of flavour run from rich fruit to sandalwood, French Vanilla, and pipe tobacco. With power, presence and length, Estate Cabernet/Merlot ’20 delivers great pleasure right through its palate.

The grapes for Estate Cabernet/Merlot ’20 were harvested between 19 March and 1 April 2020 from Te Mata Estate’s own vineyards in the Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa Triangle, Gimblett Gravels and Dartmoor sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay.

The individual parcels of each variety from each plot were de-stemmed before a traditional warm fermentation, followed by extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were pressed, returned to tank for malolactic fermentation, then run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation before blending. The wines were regularly topped and racked throughout maturation, blended and traditionally egg-white fined before bottling. The final blend is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc.

Food Pairing: Estate Cabernet/Merlot is a wonderful accompaniment to hard cheeses and anything that once lived in a field.