Te Mata Estate Vineyards Gamay Noir 2020
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Deep, brilliant crimson with a cherry-red edge, Estate Vineyards Gamay Noir sparkles with lifted candy-apple, strawberry and star anise on the nose. Soft and luscious, the palate overflows with crushed red summer fruit, wild raspberry and cherry. Hints of rosewater and aniseed culminate in this wine’s sumptuous finish. Refreshing in its appeal, beguiling in its detail, Estate Vineyards Gamay Noir is New Zealand Gamay Noir par excellence – the result of an incredible vintage, this is the best Te Mata has made.
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Te Mata’s bright, cherry-hued Gamay makes for a refreshing change from its more polished, structured, traditionally made reds. Aromas of fresh red currants and blueberries are followed by savory spice and autumnal woodsy notes like damp leaves, sap and wet stones. There’s lovely tension and freshness on the palate, which is silky but cinched by sappy tannins. There’s a medicinal bitters bite at the finish. Drink now.
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2021-
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling
Delightfully playful, but also capable of impressive gravitas, Gamay is responsible for juicy, berry-packed wines. From Beaujolais, Gamay generally has three classes: Beaujolais Nouveau, a decidedly young, fruit-driven wine, Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The Villages and Crus are highly ranked grape growing communes whose wines are capable of improving with age whereas Nouveau, released two months after harvest, is intended for immediate consumption. Somm Secret—The ten different Crus have their own distinct personalities—Fleurie is delicate and floral, Côte de Brouilly is concentrated and elegant and Morgon is structured and age-worthy.
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.