Te Mata Estate Awatea Cabernet/Merlot 2021

Te Mata is a family owned estate that has one of the richest winemaking histories in all of New Zealand.

With vineyards planted back as far as 1896, the rich history of this iconic Hawke's Bay producer is enviable in the relatively young NZ wine landscape.

Their wines come exclusively from carefully selected sites across Hawke's Bay. The aim to craft classic, structural wines that are comparable to the very best the world has to offer.

Over the last forty years Te Mata Estate has established an acclaimed range of red and white wines including Coleraine, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot, Bullnose Syrah, Alma Pinot Noir, Elston Chardonnay, Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc, and Zara Viognier.

The grapes were hand-harvested from the Estate’s vineyards between 9th and 29th March 2021. The separate 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 17 months. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in December 2021, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2022. The final blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc.