Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2019

A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc.

Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning “Eye of the Dawn”) that sailed the Auckland – Sydney – Wellington route in the late 1930s. The Awatea was requisitioned as a troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

"Blackcurrant, raspberry leaf, spice and perfume, dark chocolate and black tea. Medium-bodied, dense, firm and concentrated, a subtle herbal fragrance through red and black fruits, with an umami edge of black olive tapenade, a distinct ‘mineral’ ironstone feel to it, crisp raspberry acidity and flavour, a tight mesh of fine chalky tannin to close out a long bright finish. Wonderful.  Rating: 95 Points."  Gary Walsh.  The Wine Front

Cabernet sauvignon-dominant, with merlot and cabernet franc, like its big brother, Coleraine. Dense, lush red with cassis, ripe berry and cedar wood flavours. Seriously good and very accessible wine that offers great value at this price.  95 Points.   Australian Gourmet Traveller WINE, April/May 2021

Instantly satisfying and inviting on the nose, showing blackcurrant, dried herb, floral and spicy oak characters, leading to a delectably expressed palate that’s filled with dark and red fruit flavours with a discreet oak infusion. Offering excellent structure and immense drinkability at the same time, it’s hugely charming and enticing. A blend of 46% cabernet sauvignon, 32 merlot & 22 cabernet Franc. At its best: 2024 to 2034.  96 Points.  Sam Kim, wineorbit.co.nz.

A blend of 46% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 22% cabernet franc from Gimblett Gravels, Dartmour and the Bridge Pa subregions. A dense, lush red with cassis, ripe berry and cedar wood flavours. Seriously good and very accessible red that offers great value at this price.  95 Points.  Bob Campbell.  The Real Review.