Te Mata Alma 2020
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1 or more bottles$54.99
Editors notes
Alma celebrates Dr James Thomson, a hero of the 1854 Battle of the Alma during the Crimean War and forefather to Te Mata Estate’s Buck family. Knowing the vanquished enemy soldiers had already contracted cholera, Dr Thomson volunteered to tend to their wounds, saving the lives of over four hundred, and sacrificing his own in the process. The medal he was awarded for this selfless act of valour appears on the label of Alma Pinot Noir.
Brilliant crimson with a royal purple edge, Alma Pinot Noir ’20 has an entrancing nose of wild strawberry and cherry syrup, oriental spice, sea salt and woodsmoke. The complex palate deepens into five spice, truffle, and earth notes, with just the slightest fragrance of Earl Grey tea. Bright red fruit sparkles among a filigree of tannin. Alma Pinot Noir ’20 has presence and persistence throughout, with prettiness at its heart. (Winemaker's note)
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Critic Scores & reviews
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Bob Campbell MW
95"Bright, delicately aromatic pinot noir with cassis, dark plum, violet, wood smoke and quite prominent spicy oak. The wine has an appealing purity and seamlessness. It delivers power with consummate subtlety. Accessible now but promises to age gracefully."
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Sam Kim
96"Gorgeously seductive and perfumed, the bouquet shows red cherry, floral, thyme and warm spice aromas with a hint of mushroom complexity. The palate offers impressive substance and seamless flow, beautifully complemented by fleshy texture and fine polished tannins. Superbly harmonious and multi-layered with a prolonged velvety finish. Best: 2023 to 2034."
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Locations
New Zealand
The New Zealand wine industry is one of the younger wine regions in the world, whose popularity grew immensely when Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc hit the world wine scene, quite unique in style when compared to the typical French Sancerre.
Wine is successfully cultivated on both the North and South islands from a latitude of 36 degrees in the North to 45 degrees for the most southerly wine region in the world, the South Island's Central Otago. The majority of regions are located in free-draining alluvial valleys except for Waiheke Island and Kawarau Gorge in Central Otago and benefit from the moderating effect of the maritime climate as no vineyard is more than 80 miles from the ocean. With plentiful sunshine hours and cool evening sea breezes, the grapes thrive.
Sauvignon Blanc is the major white variety people will think of when you mention New Zealand Whites, however fantastic Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and less commonly Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Blanc. Pinot Noir is the most widely planted red variety in New Zealand although Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (Bordeaux Blends), Syrah are also grown and in even smaller amounts, Tempranillo and Montepulcianos can too be found. Sparkling wines of very high standards are also made in New Zealand.
The key wine regions in New Zealand include Auckland, Canterbury, Central Otago, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Nelson.

Hawkes Bay
New Zealand’s second largest wine region (behind Marlborough), Hawkes Bay is on the east coast of the north island, to the south of Gisborne, and is New Zealand’s leading wine and food tourism destination. Many of the finest wines come out of the Hawkes Bay wine region.
A temperate climate with lots of sun is suited to superb Chardonnays in the whites and also later ripening red varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (Bordeaux varietals) and Syrah.
A very special sub region in the Hawkes Bay region is the Gimblett Gravels. This sub region was thought to be not even good enough to graze sheep on, but in 1981 was planted under vine and now represents some of the world’s finest full bodied red wines. The unique terroir of the Gimblett Gravels comes from the old Ngaruroro River which until flowed through what is now known as the Gimblett Gravels, dumping gravel and heavy sands. The earthquake of 1931 changed the course of the river, leaving bare 800 hectares of prime new world terroir. Being 15km inland it doesn’t get the cooling sea breezes, so the region can get much hotter than the rest of Hawkes Bay.

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About the brand Te Mata Estate
Te Mata Estate was originally part of Te Mata Station which was established by English Immigrant, John Chambers in 1854. In 1892, John’s third son, Bernard Chambers planted vines on three parcels of hillside land above the homestead. There are now five vineyards, totalling 15 hectares.
For forty years, Te Mata Estate’s winemaker - John Buck, has produced a stunning array of red and white wines including Coleraine, Awatea, Bullnose Syrah, Elston Chardonnay, Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc and Zara Viognier (released in 2009). In 2012 Te Mata Estate launched a collection of Syrah, Gamay Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc named Estate Vineyards. These wines are produced from their own vineyards produce the best qualities of their variety, vintage, and Hawke's Bay origin.
The range of slopes and changes in climate, mixed with low humidity and ample ultra-violet light, allows winemakers show off their skills. As the three main rivers of Hawke’s Bay have changed over thousands of years, they have left behind gravels, silt and sands which the young soils have derived from.
Today, Te Mata Estate is seen as one of New Zealand’s most important wine producers, making nearly 40,000 cases of premium wine annually exporting to over 42 countries.