Te Mata Coleraine 2021

Redcurrant and creme de cassis aromas. Roses. So aromatic. Stones. Oyster and mussel shell. Ink pot. Lead pencil shavings. Full-bodied but very tight and focused. Linear and long with fine, powdery and chewy tannins. Crushed velvet texture. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, and 12% cabernet franc. More franc than normal in the blend. Terrific length. Try after 2028.

• Reviewer Name: James Suckling
• Review Date: March 2023

Very impressive Coleraine, possibly the best I have yet tasted. Quite Bordeaux-like with impressive density and complexity. Richly textured wine that is obviously youthful but easy to appreciate. Cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, liquorice, mixed spice and anise are some of the more obvious flavours. Destined to become a classic.

• Drinking Window: 2023 - 2040
• Reviewer Name: Bob Campbell MW
• Review Date: February 2023

The 2021 Coleraine is a superstar. It's the best I recall seeing on release in recent years, a total "pleasure-dome" situation. Tea tree, oyster shell, lavender, black tea and tobacco leaf burst from the glass. Seamless, polished tannins grace the palate. There is texturally more silk to the tannins here than the Awatea tasted beside this (another great wine, for what it's worth). There are notes of creamy red fruits, cassis and bramble, Asian five spice, black cherry and graphite/mineral skein. The persistence of flavor here is extraordinary; it's detailed and nuanced but insistent in the mouth. The tannins cup the fruit in the mouth. Winemaker Phil Brodie said there are no enzymes or added tannin; it's all from the vineyard. This is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. 2021 was left in barrel a little longer than the 2020 to refine the tannins.

• Drinking Window: 2023 - 2043
• Reviewer Name: Erin Larkin

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc. Because I care, I just nipped down to the cellar to open a bottle of the 2020 Coleraine to compare and contrast with the 2021. The 2020 is packed with tannin, texture, earthiness, and power, while the 2021 is brighter, a bit more frisky in acidity, with more leafy perfume. A little more flamboyant, but equal. It’s not a competition, more of a love in. The 2021 may well be the ‘better’ wine in time, though it’s kind of hard to tell, and may just come down to personal preference. Release date for this in Australia is February 2023. Dark and intense, lots of perfume, red and black fruits, tobacco, a leafy pop that’s pure varietal class, creamy oak, lead pencils, aniseed and spice. Medium to full-bodied, a flood of flavour, super ‘mineral’ feel to the acidity, tannin is superb, and the finish is so long. Light but so dense. There’s a fresh raspberry juiciness here too, and an extra dimension of tension and energy. All the graphite and presence. Incredible wine.

• Drinking Window: 2026 - 2045
• Reviewer Name: Gary Walsh

The 2021 Coleraine is refined and understated, maintaining this Kiwi thoroughbred's royal reputation. The blend brings together 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, although the lifted violets and pencil lead perfume would leave you thinking there was more Franc here. It is a fragrant expression that brings sweetness of ripe, silky fruit without opulence or heaviness. Layers of complex flavor are infused through its concentrated yet satiny core, combining cassis, raspberry, violets, pencil lead, cedar and tea leaf. While plentiful, the tannins are already fine and for those who like to drink prematurely, you could reasonably enjoy this without needing a slab of protein to cope with.

• Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040
• Reviewer Name: Rebecca Gibb MW
• Review Date: April 2023