"Overdelivering for the price, this delectable Bordeaux blend shows red/black plum, cherry, floral, dried herb and vanilla notes on the nose, leading to a succulent palate that is plump and silky. The wine displays bright fruit intensity and stylish oak undertones with excellent depth and complexity, superbly supported by fine, chalky tannins. At its best: 2019 to 2026" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Feb 2018

Deep magenta with a crimson edge, this is signature Awatea - a modern Hawke’s Bay cabernet with deep, pure fruit and bright, floral aromatics. Roses, violets, wild blackberry and dark plum, intertwined with notes of aniseed and thyme. Then, on the palate, immediate bright red and black fruits, blackcurrants, spice, raspberry syrup and a layered, almost saline, tannin structure with a refreshingly, fine, dry finish. Awatea ’16, as ever, is stylish Te Mata cabernet that totally over-delivers.

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.

The grapes for Awatea ’16 were hand harvested from Te Mata Estate’s vineyards between 26 March and 20 April 2016

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 16 months’ ageing. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in January 2017, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2016. The final blend is 45% cabernet sauvignon, 41% merlot, 14% cabernet franc. Closed with a natural cork that will allow Awatea to continue to evolve in bottle and provide great enjoyment up to 10 years from harvest