The Chatterer Merlot Cabernet will definitely get tongues wagging with its depth of blackberry and blueberry fruit flavours, full and rounded body and outstanding character. This wine offers fabulous value for money and beautiful aromas of soft plums and dark berry fruits. 

The 2021 vintage was great in Hawke's Bay and that comes through in every complex sip. 

In exceptional vintages we occasionally find special pockets of grapes destined for the Basket Press. The resultant wine is the pinnacle of our wine making. Intense purple, red rimmed with a palate of multi -layered fruit, a heady mix of leather, tar, mint cassis and plum held together with fine grained tannins and spicy oak.

Comes in wooden gift box.

The second wine of Domaine de Chevalier, L'Esprit de Chevalier shows complexity, depth and power expected from the deep gravel soils of the Graves. In the vineyard and winery innovation is constant, Olivier Bernard and his team are always pushing to improve the wines while showcasing each vintage as it comes. L'Esprit can be enjoyed now or in the next six years where it will age gracefully in the cellar.

Grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc

Te Mata Tasting Note

Bright crimson with a royal purple edge, Awatea ’24 glows in the glass with youthful poise and vitality. The aroma is refined and perfumed, offering blackberry, dark plum, cassis, redcurrant, and dark cherry with layers of thyme, cedar, tapenade and a gentle floral lift. The palate is generous and seamless, with black plum and blackberry carried by silky, ripe tannins and a savoury umami thread of black truffle, spice and plum sauce. The finish is long, polished and mouth-watering, revealing clarity, balance, and a classical Awatea with depth and graceful evolution ahead.

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.

Chateau Larroque is based just outside the 'Graves' appellation in the southern part of Bordeaux.  Made from the classic blend of Bordeaux grapes, and matured for 12 months in French oak before further aging in bottle.

On first opening, medium bodied on the palate, red cherry and dried fruits, toasted almonds with dusty savoury bramble and spice. Once given a chance to breathe opens up to offer generous plump juicy dark fruits, cassis and liquorice.

Superb value for 'left bank' Bordeaux.

This blend of 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon shows off a bright deep red colour with purple reflections. Red fruit aroma dominate the nose overlayed with subtle peppermint notes. Balanced and smooth with fine tannins, this is classic Bordeaux in style with a spicy rich finish.

Vineyards
- The McKenzie vineyard is located in Waipara close to the winery. The vineyard is a free draining terrace site. The average age of vines varies from 16 years or older.

Wine Making
- All hand harvested in late April and early May
- Harvest brix ranged from 22-23 brix [% sugar]
- Fermentation was in small vessels [1500L] 3 day cool soak, inoculated with yeast,
fermentation varies from 4-6 days peaking at 32 C then allowed 7-10 days on skins. Some components were given extended skin contact up to 28 days.
- Pressing was in traditional Basket Press
- Cooperage was a mixture of French barrels ranging in age from new to 6+ years. Duration is approx 18 months
- Malo lactic [ML] fermentation is natural starting in Spring and the wine is racked and has a SO2 addition once ML complete.
- Bottling is through 1 micron filter

Bottle Details
- Alcohol 13.0 % by volume
- Acid is 5.5 gm/L [as tartaric]
- Volatile Acidity is 0.45 gm/L
- Residual Sugar is < 1 gm/L

Commercial description

Bordering the old Waiheke Air Strip this vineyard produces world-class Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot.

Planted when their children were barely walking, John and Paul Dunleavy’s vines have matured over two decades and, like their children, bring their own unique character to this wine.

Aged in barrels for 10 months, but made in a forward, fruit driven style to be enjoyed in youth, The Strip will continue to improve over time with careful cellaring.

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from gravelly parcels in Pauillac and is aged in 60% new oak and the remainder one-year-old oak. The bouquet is gentle and understated and leads to a medium-bodied palate with grippy tannins, heightened graphite notes, and a focused and compelling finish offering crisp pencil shaving notes. Drink now and through to 2040.

"Composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Chambrun is deep garnet-purple in color with warm blackberries, black cherry pie and blueberry compote with touches of fried herbs and cedar. The palate is medium to full-bodied with bags of vibrant fruit and a firm frame of rounded tannins, finishing long and refreshing."

Rating (90 - 92)+

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Chateau du Tertre Margaux is one of the estate’s flagship wines. It is silky and elegant, yet powerful and concentrated. The palate is fruit forward with excellent texture, tannin and balance. This wine will age very well in the cellar but is already drinking excellently.

The Chatterer

66% Merlot 34% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is deep in colour with a layered fragrant nose of ripe plum and cassis with lifted vanilla, cedar and tobacco notes.

The palate has a rich velvet texture with excellent structure, ripe black fruits and cassis flavours with a long full finish.

Great cellaring wine for up to 10 years.

14% Alc