Terra Ignota: Brilliant New Wines From Te Mata Estate, NZ

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member

During my travels last year in New Zealand I visited over 50 wineries. In general I was amazed by the quality and diversity of the wine I encountered. Marlborough was great, Central Otago too, but I think it was some of the other regions that I knew little about that really made an impact. The wines of Te Mata Estate in Hawkes Bay really impressed me, enough so that on my return to the US I sought them out and knew we had to make them available to our customers. Te Mata Estate is nestled into the lower slopes of Te Mata Peak, a dramatic rocky out crop that towers above the otherwise relatively flat plain. Only a couple miles from the ocean and tempered by cool breezes, these rocky free draining soils are perfect for balanced, finessed wines but with the concentration and power I have come to expect from Hawkes Bay.

Te Mata Estate’s notoriety has been bolstered in part by it’s proprietary wine: the remarkable Coleraine. This is a stunningly complex and delicious Bordeaux style blend that takes it’s name from the tiny vineyard directly adjacent to the winery. The Coleraine has been produced since 1982 and is highly regarded as one of New Zealand's finest wines. Quite compellingly the wine is made each year using a blind tasting and blending of the Bordeaux varietals that construct it.

The 2009 Coleraine is described as “saturated magenta in color with concentrated aromas of blackcurrants, spice and dark old fashioned roses. The palate opens with the dense sweet, dark berry fruits indicative of a great year. The focus quickly turns to rich fine tannins that fill the mouth, leaving a lasting impression of a wine of significant ageing ability. Coleraine '09 [is] considered amongst the greatest Coleraines. A blend of 52% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot, and 5% cabernet franc, it will continue to develop in bottle and provide great enjoyment up to 15 years from harvest.” My personal notes echoed these, being particularly impressed with the balance between rich dark fruits and a firm structure. This is clearly a wine for the long haul but with just enough extraction to please the bigger cab drinkers and those who enjoy riper Bordeaux vintages such as 2000, 2005, 2009.

Awatea is the 2nd wine to the Coleraine, made in a slightly more plush drink earlier style and represents an excellent value for a very solid bottle of wine. Te Mata Estate believes this to be the finest Awatea it has produced to date. “Dark crimson color with lifted floral, ripe blackberry cedar and spice aromas. The palate is laden with rich dark cherry, chocolate and Provence herb flavors. Awatea ’09 is a blend of 45% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 15% cabernet franc. It will continue to evolve in bottle, providing great enjoyment up to 10 years from harvest. I found this wine to be sweeter fruited and a little fuller bodied than the Coleraine and with more supple tannins. The perfect steak wine! Truly over achieving against many others I would put in it’s category.

Also well known and highly sought after (in fact it was sold out pretty much everywhere in NZ when I was there) is the Te Mata Bullnose Syrah. “An impressive deep magenta colour, with aromas and flavours of raspberry and sweet cherry, baking spices and lavender. The rich palate displays velvety tannins underpinning plum and cream notes, leading to a long, elegant finish. It will continue to evolve in bottle for eight years from harvest.” A stunningly elegant and perfumed syrah again playing a perfect balance between old world structure and new world fruit.

Fresh on our shelves and online this week, the Te Mata wines are benchmark examples of what NZ can do beyond Sauv Blanc and Pinot. I urge anyone who enjoys Bordeaux and a more restrained Californian Meritage style to try the Coleraine and Awatea. They are excellent wines from a very highly regarded vintage. As for the Bullnose Syrah, Jimmy C and myself might just keep it all for ourselves!

Cheers!

-Ryan Woodhouse, Aussie/NZ Specialist

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Terra Ignota is Latin for "Unknown Land". It was the name for the South Pacific region during intial mapping and exploration of Australia and New Zealand. As we are going to be exploring new and exciting wines from this region, we think this is a fitting title for our blog series on wines from this part of the world. Stay tuned for more!

{Terra Ignota}:World-Beating Bordeaux Blends From New Zealand!?

Everyone knows NZ’s staple Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Noir is also definitely making it’s self known as another NZ varietal with world class potential that can be very elegant, even Burgundian in style. However, it is another region with other varieties that may be New Zealand’s most exciting export: enter the hearty reds of the Gimblett Gravels. Situated in Hawkes Bay, this region enjoys a warmer climate than much of NZ and the growing area is a low lying plain on the dryer east coast. Proximity to the ocean also plays a role moderating the temperatures in both winter and summer. Within this region lies the unique growing district of the Gimblett Gravels.

This area has remarkably deep and dense gravel soil deposited by the Ngaruroro River.  In the late 19^th century, a huge flood caused the river to change course leaving the original gravel riverbed high and dry. The soil is so poor here it is remarkable that anything can grow. However, as we know, our friend the vine flourishes in these types of challenging environments. Much of the area is planted to Bordeaux varietals drawing on the similarities to the deep gravel soils of the left bank and especially Graves in Bordeaux. Syrah also does especially well here.

Situated at the heart of this region is NZ's oldest winery, Mission Estate. Founded in 1851, this property makes a range of wines that illustrate the potential of this world-class terroir. At a recent comparative tasting in Hong Kong hosted by Master of Wine Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eight Gimblett Gravels wines were lined up against eight of the top Bordeaux producers. Mission Estates proprietary wine “The Jewelstone” came in third, beaten out only by Haut-Brion and Chateau Mouton, finishing the blind tasting ahead of Lafite, Latour and Margaux as judged by 40 of the worlds top wine professionals. A pretty good showing when you consider this wines price tag: $31.99!

We have just received a limited number of the 2009 “Jewelstone”, it is comprised of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc. “Deep garnet-purple color and complex scents of black currant, warm blackberries and anise with nuances of dried plums, cinnamon stick, dark chocolate and vanilla. Concentrated and full bodied in the mouth, it gives high acidity, firm very fine-grained tannins and a long spicy finish. Delicious now, it should evolve nicely through 2020+”Perrotti-Brown MW.

2009 Mission Estate "Jewelstone" Bordeaux Blend Hawkes Bay New Zealand $31.99

We also have other great wines from this exciting region:

2010 Craggy Range "Te Kahu" Bordeaux Blend Gimblett Gravels $18.99

2009 Mission Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkes Bay $19.99

More will be following with Bilencia Syrah, Esk Valley and Te Mata wines all on their way to us, so watch this space!

Cheers!

-Ryan

Ryan Woodhouse

NZ & Aussie Wine Specialist

K&L Wine Merchants - Redwood City

Contact

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Terra Ignota is Latin for "Unknown Land". It was the name for the South Pacific region during intial mapping and exploration of Australia and New Zealand. As we are going to be exploring new and exciting wines from this region, we think this is a fitting title for our blog series on wines from this part of the world. Stay tuned for more!