Te Mata Awatea 2021

SKU
TMAW202110 UCNZ
  • Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning “Eye of the Dawn”)
  • It’s sturdy and robust with silky texture and loads of cocoa tannins.
  • Slow-roast lamb with cinnamon, fennel & citrus, Sizzling sausage salad.
  • 1 or more bottles
    $39.99
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Editors notes

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. Often compared with its big brother Coleraine, the Awatea is a serious wine in its own right. A Bordeaux blend that spend 15 months in French oak, it displays classic dark fruit notes such as blackberry, cassis, black plum lifted by some floral and spicy notes. This wine is ripe and complex with lingering tannins and richness and structure. Enjoy over the next decade.

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Blueberry
    • Boysenberry
    • Herbal
  • Palate
    • Blue Fruits
    • Cassis
    • Graphite

Food Pairings

  • Pork
  • Red Meat

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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.

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.

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