Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets, Hawkes Bay

Description

Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets is a New Zealand red wine from the Hawke’s Bay wine growing region of the North Island. Buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

Te Mata Estate, Established 1896

Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate is a family-owned winery in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, crafting small batches of internationally acclaimed wines in the country’s oldest wine cellar. Originating from Te Mata Station, founded by English immigrant John Chambers in 1854, the estate’s wine legacy began with Bernard Chambers’ vision, planting vines on three hillsides that, by 1909, formed New Zealand’s largest vineyard.

Today, Te Mata Estate continues to produce its renowned Coleraine, Awatea, and Elston wines from those original vineyards. Acquired by the Buck and Morris families in 1978, the estate has seen significant investment, solidifying its reputation for excellence.

Hawke’s Bay Vineyards

The grapes for the Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets are sourced from estate vineyards in the Bridge Pa Triangle, Havelock Hills and Woodthorpe Terraces sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay.

The Woodthorpe Terraces vineyards were first planted in 1994 and cover some 220 hectares of vineyards (Viognier, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also planted here) planted on sandy loam over gravel soils left behind as the Tutaekuri River eroded its path through the hills to the sea.

The Bridge Pa Triangle sub-region has some of the hottest summer temperatures in the Hawke’s Bay region, it is here that Te Mata’s flagship Bullnose Syrah comes from. There are two vineyards, the 15-hectare Bullnose and 15-hectare Isosceles Vineyards, planted on free-draining sandy loam over a gravel base. A superb site for ripening red and white grape varieties.

The Havelock Hills Vineyards are the first legally protected vineyards in New Zealand and were planted in 1892. The vineyards here are renowned for producing wines with great balance, power and elegance.

Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets

Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets is part of a range of Estate wines that was first released in 2012 to showcase the best qualities of their variety, vintage, and Hawke’s Bay origin.

Winemaking

• Winemaking Process:
  • Individual parcels of each grape variety from distinct plots were de-stemmed.
  • Traditional warm fermentation was followed by extended maceration on skins.
  • Wines were pressed and returned to tank for malolactic fermentation.
  • Aged in a mix of new and seasoned French oak barrels for 8 months.
  • Regular topping and racking are performed during maturation.
  • Final blending after maturation.
• 2019 Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernets Blend:
  • 54% Merlot
  • 39% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 7% Cabernet Franc