 The UK's No.1 Australian Wine Specialist    Te Mata from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand has been on our radar for several years. In fact, we were close to shipping 3,000 bottles last year however, a breakdown in communication stopped the deal from taking place. Nonetheless, and albeit with much smaller quantities, we are thrilled to share their amazing wines with you. Unquestionably, and regardless who you ask, Te Mata’s Coleraine is New Zealand’s greatest wine. Equally, this Bordeaux-style blend has carved out an illustrious reputation as one of the very best in the world. The 2020 vintage woke much of Australia-up as Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) scored the wine 98+ “touch and go for 99 points” to quote. As global scores go, it’s certainly impressive yet others are more generous… As previously mentioned, the boys at The Wine Front are tough critics and high scores do not come with ease. Quite the opposite. One resourceful supporter noted only 49 wines received 98 points (and only 10 of these got the extra +). Gary highlighted the rarity with, “From about 55,000 or more. So that makes it 0.08% and 0.02% for the 98+.” How does the 2021 compare? “The 2020 is packed with tannin, texture, earthiness, and power, while the 2021 is brighter, a bit more frisky in acidity, with more leafy perfume. A little more flamboyant, but equal. It’s not a competition, more of a love in. The 2021 may well be the ‘better’ wine in time, though it’s kind of hard to tell, and may just come down to personal preference.” says, Gary Walsh Coleraine is all about breed and beauty. New World brute it is not… After sampling wines in Bordeaux for seventeen vintages, I am very much looking forward to sharing my notes in a few weeks (like you, I am waiting for my bottle). Until then, we leave you with a 100-point tasting note from one of New Zealand’s finest and most respected critics, Sam Kim "This 2021 Coleraine is undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine.” 100 Point - 2021 Coleraine56% Cabernet Sauvignon / 32% Merlot / 12% Cabernet Franc 100 Points - Sam Kim “The 2021 Coleraine exhibits a commanding presence and majestic poise. The bouquet reveals classic aromas of cassis, dark plum and violet with whispering nuances of cedar and cigar. There are hints of warm spices, compounding the pleasure upon inhalation. The palate is bold and graceful at once, enhanced by plush texture and multi-layered mouthfeel, beautifully framed by refreshing acidity and fine chalky tannins. Robust and substantial with a great line and length, which seem to go on to infinity. This youthful wine is already impossible to resist, but time will reward those who can wait. In sports, they often talk about ‘The Greatest of All Time’, or 'The GOAT'. This 2021 Coleraine is undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine” 3 x 75cl (OWC) - £175.00 Under Bond 6 x 75cl (OWC) - £350.00 Under Bond Also available by the bottle - £73.25 Available week of 16 October 2023 Extremely limited  99 Point - 2021 Bullnose SyrahSupporters of Shiraz / Syrah will adore Te Mata’s signature wine, Bullnose, which and very much in the mould of Coleraine has become not only one of New Zealand’s most awarded Syrahs, but it has also become a premium global example of the cool-climate art. The new release receives a glorious 99 Points from Sam Kim. “Expressing precision and purity, combined with brooding strength and complexity, this is spectacular and breathtaking. Immediately appealing with dark plum, sweet cherry, graphite, olive, spicy oak and floral aromas, it’s succulent and fleshy in the mouth delivering layers of seductive flavours backed by beautifully infused tannins. It’s mouthfilling and velvety with a prolonged engaging finish.” Syrah continues to remain a rarity in New Zealand with only 1% featuring in their vineyard plantings. Yet, Te Mata Estate have made Syrah a centrepiece of their offering with an ever-expanding portfolio of Syrah vineyards to go with their original Bridge Pā planting. Since these Northern Rhône clones first went into the fine red metal soils of Bridge Pā in 1990, Te Mata have added the mature Syrah vines at the nearby Hotspur and Ancestral vineyards. The goal obviously is to further develop Te Mata Estate’s much-awarded Bullnose Syrah. Part of Bullnose’s appeal, and certainly as a Master of Wine exam test subject, is due to technical prowess demonstrated by Te Mata Estate’s team over the years in developing Bullnose into such a world-beater. The early vineyards and Northern Rhône clones have been looked after carefully over many Hawke’s Bay sunny summers and cool nights. As experience with the site has grown, hundreds of small steps of refinement have been made in viticultural management over thirty years. New vines have been added, and new vineyards too. At the winery, there’s new sorting equipment, more small fermentation tanks, a high-tech red wine fermentation room, and advancements in the Syrah-specific Rhône oak programme for barrel-ageing. Moreover, and despite critical acclaim, Bullnose continues to offer incredible value. 6 x 75cl Under Bond - £175.00 Also available by the bottle - £38.50 Available week of 16 October 2023 Extremely limited  2021 Awatea50% Cabernet Sauvignon / 36% Merlot / 14% Cabernet Franc Equally exciting, resoundingly impressive and one wine which places less of a burden on one’s wallet. 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 provides earlier accessibility however, the wine's heritage and qualities allow for graceful ageing (10+ years). 95+ Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front It’s that good… "Blackcurrant, raspberry and leaf, tobacco, and spicy perfume, pencil/cedar oak. Medium-bodied, tannin sits so nicely within the wine, fresh and long, with classic fragrance in with that. So ‘minerally’ and cool. Very long. Precision and definition mark it out as a wine of class and fine filigreed deliciousness. It’s just so good, energetic, stony and definitely worthy of cellaring. Superb." 97 Points - Sam Kim “Offering harmony and structure within an opulent framed of rich fruit and silky tannins, this is a gratifying red offering awesome value. The enticing bouquet shows blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco and cedary oak characters with a delicate floral overtone. The palate displays amazing depth and persistency, wonderfully complemented by delectable fruit flavours with spicy nuances. Tannins are fine, mouth-coating and just right, making it structured and seamless at the same time.” 6 x 75cl Under Bond - £115.00 Also available by the bottle - £26.25 Available week of 16 October 2023 |
