Te Mata Coleraine Hawke's Bay 18

Coleraine is the flagship wine of Te Mata Estate in Hawke’s Bay and is one of New Zealand’s most highly collectible and highly valued red wines. It was first made in 1989 as a single vineyard wine and has since forged a reputation for its long term ageability and great quality as a blend from valued vineyards in the hills of Havelock. This area is historically important in the New Zealand wine industry because it is home to some of the country's first grapevines ever planted in 1892. 

Coleraine vineyards    

The 2019 Coleraine was made from hand harvested grapes grown on several vineyards owned by Te Mata Estate, which were picked between 26 March and 10 April 2019.                                                                                                      

Each individual pick of grapes was destemmed before being given a traditional warm, plunged fermentation followed by extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then pressed mostly to new French oak barrels for 16 months of maturation with regular topping and racked. The blend was made in January 2020 and the finished wine was bottled in December 2020. 

Coleraine blend

Change is the only constant in Coleraine, which varies each year in terms of exact percentages of each grape variety used in the wine. It is always a blend of red grapes which traditionally come from Bordeaux in south west France. These varieties also do well in Hawke's Bay hot dry summer climate where balance is provided by the region's cool nights. 

The 2019 Coleraine is 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.                                                                                            

History of the wine and the name... Coleraine
The name Coleraine comes from the Coleraine vineyard situated on the land which is home of John and Wendy Buck of Te Mata Estate. John’s late grandfather was born in Coleraine in Northern Ireland, which originally inspired the name. 

The first vintage of Coleraine was in 1989 Coleraine has been an assemblage of the finest wines produced from distinct plots within Te Mata Estate’s oldest vineyards on the Havelock Hills.

Reviews for 2019 Coleraine

"An iconic brand meets a terrific vintage. The result is a “must have” wine for collectors and investors. This is elegance on a grand scale and one of the best vintages I’ve tasted. Still youthful and quite closed (it was bottled on the day I tasted it) but with plushness and power."  Bob Campbell. February 2021