2022 Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot

Highly Rated
Arguably NZ's greatest producer of Bordeaux blends, this is the perfect way to get acquainted with Te Mata's refined style.
4.3
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars
8 Reviews

Price:
Sale price$45.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

If you’re looking for an introduction to Hawke’s Bay’s great Cabernet blends, Awatea is where you start. It’s got all the pedigree - a century-old family estate, exceptional vineyard sites, and a winemaking team that’s honed their craft over generations - yet it remains one of the most approachable, expressive, and best-value wines in New Zealand.

The 2022 blend is 44% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc, sourced from Te Mata’s historic estate vineyards. The fruit was hand-harvested, fermented in small open vats, and matured for 15 months in French oak, before blending and bottling.

From the first sip, it’s clear Awatea is more than the sum of its parts. It’s got that unmistakable Hawke’s Bay Cabernet structure - firm yet polished tannins, bright acidity - but the Merlot brings a plushness that makes it ridiculously drinkable from day one. There’s a savoury edge, a flicker of dark spice, and just the right amount of oak to tie it all together. It’s the kind of wine that makes you want to pour another glass before you’ve finished the first.

It’s seamless, balanced, and built to last - supple enough to drink now, yet destined to evolve over the next decade. A wine that overdelivers in every way, from one of New Zealand’s greatest estates.

95 points - "The 2022 Awatea Cabernets Merlot is floral and layered with cassis and raspberry, chalk and tobacco, paprika dolce and pink peppercorns. This is modern claret at its finest, and I find it to be beguiling in that way. It's softer and a little less structural than the 2021 but with so much cushioning and fruit. The tannins are firm through the finish, and I feel that balances the sweet fruit well. Yes." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

94+ points - "Boysenberry, dusty spice, floral aromatics, tobacco, leaf and mint. Medium-bodied, powdery tannin, very ‘mineral’ acidity, bright but sitting in the wine well, raspberry and plum, complex and chalky firm on a long finish, a little seaweed in the mix. Crisp. Very fine wine. Needs a few more years in bottle." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points - "Deep and bright purple-red colour with a very fresh, youthful and somewhat undevelped fruit-driven bouquet of raspberry, blueberry, violet and mulberry, the palate elegantly formed and medium-full bodied, with fine powdery tannins that dry the finish cleanly. A pristine, pure-fruited style of cabernet blend with medium length and lovely balance." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

Customer Reviews

4.3
Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars
Based on 8 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 3 Total 4 star reviews: 4 Total 3 star reviews: 1 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
8 reviews
  • MC
    Martin C.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2019 Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Just lovely Cab Merlot Cab Franc Blend.

    Has the right acid & tannin that is heaven to my palate

  • WP
    Wayne P.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2021 Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Top Te Mata

    Serious red blend. Sensational black fruit, great depth and length.

  • DK
    david k.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    1 year ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    Reviewing
    2021 Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Little brother!

    The 'little brother' to Coleraine, maybe, however an excellent example of Kiwi Cab Merlot at a fair price! Te Mata really is where this classic NZ blend really shines...

First made in 1982, Awatea continues to represent the best of the classic Hawke’s Bay Cabernet/Merlot blend. Floral aromas with intense blackberry, currant, and dark plum flavors lead to a rich, supple palate with a sustained finish.

ORIGIN
Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Māori word meaning ‘Eye of the Dawn’) that sailed the Auckland – Sydney – Wellington route in the late 1930s. The Awatea was requisitioned as troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

VINEYARDS
The grapes for Awatea ’22 were hand-harvested from Te Mata Estate’s vineyards between March 20 and 27, 2022.

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. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in July 2023, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2023. The final blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS AT BOTTLING
• pH: 3.63
• Total Acidity (as Tartaric): 5.4 g/L
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Residual Sugar: Dry

Price Bracket $41 to $50
Type Red
Sub Type Cabernet | Blends
Body Full Bodied
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Country New Zealand
Region Hawkes Bay
Feature High Score
Iconic
Reviewed By The Wine Front
The Wine Advocate
Critic Score 94
95
Size 750ml
Vintage 2022
Closure Cork

Te Mata Estate

Te Mata Estate 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.

The Te Mata Estate Coleraine is considered by many as NZ's premier Bordeaux blend. A shining jewel in the crown of the Hawke's Bay region.

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