Fiano's established home is Campania in Southwest Italy, where great examples
are revered for style somewhere between a stunning Chardonnay and a dry
Riesling. Compared to other grapes, it is low-yielding and thus often overlooked by
commercial wineries. However it is well worth the work, showing delicate floral and
spice aromas that mellow and honey over time, giving way to great texture and impressive acidity.

This noble variety seems to have found its home at the stunning Howell Family vineyard, off Maraekakaho Road in Bridge Pa – one of a handful of Fiano plantings in New Zealand.
White floral, stonefruit, lemon zest and hint of brioche on the nose. On the palate these flavours merge with a touch of marmalade and cedar. A rich, textured, ripe wine with a zesty fresh finish. 900 bottle made.

Typically fresh aromatics of quality Hawkes Bay Chardonnay are evident including citrus, white flowers and stone fruit. These are complemented on the palate by a creamy richness from aging on lees. Roast hazelnut, almond and hints of gunflint result from the indigenous fermentation in barrel.

Elspeth is Mills Reef’s top tier range, produced from their vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay. This Syrah is intensely concentrated and complex, displaying luscious boysenberry, white pepper spice and liquorice notes.

Winery's notes...

A stylish Hawke's Bay blend that has chartered our way, a wine with a strong character and a strong following. Blended from the best blocks from our estate, we use a variety of clones, each block fermented then matured in oak barrels as stand alone parcels. After 12 months initial maturation, each barrel was tasted and scored with only the best making the cut for The Navigator. Softly concentrated with deep and dense aromas of plush red fruits, cocoa, spice and cedar, the palate is medium-full bodied with rich and succulent flavours. 

The long finish and fine tannins make this an ideal accompaniment for your beef dishes, richly flavoured foods and cheeses. 

Merlot 34%, Cabernet Sauvignon 31%, Cabernet Franc 19%, Malbec 16%

This distinguished Cabernet Merlot is made from ultra-premium grapes (73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc) grown on low-yielding vines in the Mere Road Vineyard, situated in the celebrated stony soils of the Gimblett Gravels district in Hawkes Bay. Medium to full bodied, it bursts with notes of black fruits, plum, chocolate, and liquorice intertwined with beautifully refined tannins, yielding a distinguished silky smooth wine.

Te Mata Tasting Note
The deep crimson colour of Coleraine ‘21, edged in royal purple, is the first clue to this wine’s exceptional character. Pure Hawke’s Bay cabernet aromatics leap from the glass – wild blackberry, blackcurrant, thyme, and cedar, all interwoven with that signature Coleraine perfume of fresh roses.

The palate precisely balances richness with vibrant energy; modern and varietally expressive, with cassis, raspberry, mocha, spice, and a distinctive minerality that is uniquely 2021. The fruit ripeness is so succulent, it cloaks those profound, chiselled tannins that carry the palate on endlessly. With perfume, power, finesse, and length this is an absolute original. Coleraine ’21 is ‘The One’.

Accolades

100 Points ‘undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine’, Sam Kim
98 Points ‘Is it one of the best Coleraines ever?’,  James Suckling
97+ Points  ‘Incredible wine’, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
97 Points  ‘A smashing cabernet blend’, Huon Hooke, The Real Review

 

This is a juicy, medium-bodied Syrah. French oak imparts gentle vanilla and spice characteristics. On the nose, floral and dark fruit notes are balanced with a peppery touch. The palate is smooth and fruity, with balanced tannins and a lingering finish.

The highly collectible new vintage of Coleraine is available by pre order only.  Stock is expected to arrive on 3 March, and we hope to dispatch the wine the following week and / or have it ready for collection. 

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.

The wine

Coleraine derives its name from the Coleraine vineyard, home of John and Wendy Buck of Te Mata Estate. John’s late grandfather was born in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and the name has been maintained through the family home to the wine. A single vineyard wine until 1989, Coleraine is an assemblage of the finest wines produced from distinct plots within Te Mata Estate’s oldest Havelock Hills vineyards first planted in 1892.

Coleraine is made from hand harvested grapes grown on separate vineyard plots.

The winemaking

Each parcel of grapes was destemmed before a traditional warm plunged fermentation and extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then run to predominately new French oak barrels for 17 months’ maturation. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The assemblage was made in January 2021. The finished wine was bottled in December 2021. The final blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

The new 2020 Coleraine is a deep, concentrated expression of Cabernet Sauvignon with flavour notes of cedar, blackcurrants, dark cherries and plums.

What the critics say

‘’Easily one of the best wines I have tasted in the last decade ‘’ 

98+ Points - Gary Walsh, Winefront, Aus 

‘’A sensational Cabernet blend, gorgeously flavoured and perfumed, profound and lingering."

97 Points’ - Huon Hooke, Real Review, Australia / New Zealand

Classical Hawke's Bay take on Bordeaux using 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 7% Melbec

A complex aroma of berry fruits, spice, cassis, cedar and cigarbox notes, complemented by fine oak.

Sweet rounded berry-fruit flavours of blackberry and wild brambles, mocha, spice, savoury olive notes and fine oak tannin. This wine shows a complex bouquet, silken texture and firm structure. 

Hand harvested and whole bunch pressed into old oak and fermented with indigenous yeast before spending 14 months in barrel on the lees. This is round and unctuous as befitting similarly composed wines from the Rhone Valley with aromas and flavours of quince, jasmine peach and citrus. Will pair well with Asian cuisine. 

This is an elegant Chardonnay with a medium-full body and characteristics of stone-fruit and malo-lactic fermentation. The nose offers rock-melon and peach notes with a touch of oaky vanilla. The palate is juicy and ripe, with a creamy texture and a good dose of acidity.

A blend of old & new world wine-making using exceptional fruit from Clearview’s oldest Mendoza Chardonnay vines. This is their ultra-premium Chardonnay. Endeavour is a lush, rich and opulent wine with great complexity and length.

Te Mata Awatea is often described as a baby Coleraine and is one of Hawke's Bay's most iconic red wines. First made in 1982 as a classic blend of Bordeaux red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Proportions vary each year and the wine was declassified in 2012 due to a cool vintage and the need to separate the two wines, Coleraine and Awatea. Both are excellent and both deliver robust classic reds for drinking now or cellaring for the long term. Awatea delivers excellent value for money for its consistently outstanding quality, great balance of dry spicy flavours and dark fruit forward approachability. 

Te Mata Estate is Hawke's Bay's oldest winery building and one of its oldest wineries; a family owned company with an eye on producing great New Zealand wines modelled on and inspired by the world's classic great wines.

Great Esk Valley blend from the great 2020 vintage and made entirely from grapes grown on stony soils of Gimblett Gravels. This wine is one of the top 12 Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection wines for 2020. It's a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, fermented in open top concrete fermenters and hand plunged. Deeply coloured and complex with jammy and plummy notes.

The Malbec provides smoothness and depth with soft plummy flavours from the Merlot and structure from the Cabernet.

This top drop drinks well now and will also age well for seven to eight years.

The Elspeth range is Mills Reef's top tier line of wines, made from their own vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay.

"This distinguished single vineyard Chardonnay exudes presence and finesse. The palate is wonderfully mouth-filling and creamy, with intense peach and apricot flavours in harmony with fine French oak seasoning, leading to a satisfyingly long soft and spicy finish. Instantly appealing, enjoy now or allow to age gracefully with careful cellaring." - Winemaker's notes.