Vintage
Major Grape
ABV
Bottle Size
Producer
Type
SKU
Closure
2019
Red Blend
13.5%
75
Te Mata Estate
Red
1789
Cork
Te Mata Estate ‘Awatea’ Cabernets/Merlot 2019
New Zealand / Hawkes Bay
Andy's Tasting Notes
Price to quality this gives Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Margaret River, Bolgheri and Chilean Cabernet fans a great value and fascinating alternative. This has gorgeous rich fruit, beautiful tannin structure and acidity, plus a superb sleek and multi-nuanced pedigree.
I love the producer drinking advice – “Best enjoyed from a large glass with a hard cheese and good company“!
46% Cabernet Sauvignon
32% Merlot
22% Cabernet Franc
Drink now to 2029
Producer notes – “First made in 1982, Awatea continues to represent the best of the classic Hawkes Bay Cabernet/Merlot blend. Floral aromas with intense blackberry, currant and dark plum flavours lead to a rich, supple palate with a sustained finish.”
Producer notes – winemaking: “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 15 months’ ageing. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in January 2020, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2020. The final blend is 46% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 22% cabernet franc.”
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 a troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.
Price per bottle £27.35
52 in stock
Producer Info
Te Mata Estate was established in 1896 and remains family-owned, creating small batches of internationally recognised wines from their Hawkes Bay vineyards and in New Zealand’s oldest wine cellar.
Te Mata Estate Winery originated as part of Te Mata Station, a large pastoral land-holding established by English immigrant John Chambers in 1854. John’s third son, Bernard, had the vision for wine production and planted vines on three of the hillsides above the homestead. By 1909, it was the largest vineyard in New Zealand, winning gold medals for its Cabernet in the ‘Imperial London Exhibition’ of that year. Te Mata Estate still utilises those original three vineyards to produce its most famous wines: Coleraine, Awatea and Elston.
The Buck and Morris families acquired Te Mata Estate in 1978, and have heavily invested in the estate. Today, the estate is comprised of 250 hectares, of which 175 hectares are under vine. It has an annual production of 40,000 cases. Two-thirds of this is Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Chardonnay and Syrah, from which the estate produces a stunning array of red and white wines. Three generations of the Buck family live and work at Te Mata Estate, headed by with Nick Buck who became CEO in 2013. Peter Cowley joined as winemaker in 1984. Under his direction, and with the help of winemakers Philip Brodie and Martyn Wallace, all winemaking techniques adhere to Te Mata’s strict policy of producing small batches of high-quality wine for selection and assembly.
Food matchSee above! Or, all roasts / grilled steak
Awards & Critic Reviews
General info
Contact us
Cellar Selected is a trading arm of Halifax Wine Company Ltd
Company Number 09560732, VAT Registration 772 343527
Registered Office – Equitable House, 55 Pellon Lane, Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, HX1 5SP