Winemaker Notes
The Coleraine 2022 is a bold, expressive release, capturing the depth and complexity that have defined Te Mata Cabernet Sauvignon since 1982. Floral notes of lavender and violet lift aromas of plum and blackcurrant, layered over a dark, savory core of graphite, nori, and tobacco. The palate is concentrated and vibrant, with fine tannins, fresh tension, and refined precision. A seamless blend of heritage and innovation, it’s a statement wine that lingers well beyond the final sip.
Blend: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Coleraine is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. On the nose, the wine shows its sweet creamy oak, a cavalcade of dark fruit and an array of spices. The wine is powdery and ultra fine, with a gravelly score of tannin woven through the finish. A spectacular wine, it's still looking so primary and young at this early stage. I note the total acidity is akin to the 2013 vintage, and it serves to add an extra layer of freshness to the finish—a little uptick to close, if you will. This is awesome. It gets better every time I taste it. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
Rating: 97+ -
Vinous
The 2022 Coleraine has a much more refined and mild-mannered bouquet compared to the 2021, veering more towards the Médoc with black fruit, graphite and tobacco scents that gently unfold in the glass. This is unsurprising given the far higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (84%). The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, less body than other vintages but with more mineralité and classicism. A tad drier on the finish, yet there is no shortfall in fruit and it feels reassuringly tender from start to finish.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.