Variety: Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot
Tasting notes:
Dark and bright, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’18 is inky purple with an electric crimson
edge. From a warm and dry vintage, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ‘18 shows ripe blackberry
and black currant aromatics with elements of vanilla creme and sandalwood. On the
palate there’s a banquet of plum, raspberry, dried herbs, and lingering dark cherry, set
out across cedar and cocoa powder tannins. Classical in structure with fine balance and
length, this is a generous Awatea of resplendent purity and detail.
Reviews:
95 points, Sam Kim
Outer quote mark The perfumed bouquet shows dark and purple fruit characters with warm spice, olive, cedar and floral notes. It’s splendidly concentrated and beautifully layered on the palate, delivering excellent fruit power combined with depth and complexity, finishing persistent and engaging. The wine is gorgeously framed by an abundance of powdery tannins, making it classically structured while remaining finely balanced and graceful.
95 points, Wine Enthusiast
Outer quote mark This is an excellent bottling of Awatea, the younger brother of Te Mata’s top red, Coleraine. From a long, warm growing season, this feels like a complete wine. Winter warming notes of plump plums, dark cherries and chocolate are complemented by a bounty of dried herbs, spices and graphite. The palate is similarly dense and structured but with elegance and balance. Tannins are powdery and fine, winding through dark, tangy fruit and herbs. Like many of Te Mata’s wines, it has an old school Bordeaux vibe that will appeal more to some than to others.
93 points, James Suckling
Outer quote mark There’s a very attractive, cedary edge to this with red cherries, redcurrants and blueberries, as well as darker plum and cocoa notes. The palate is so composed and fresh and has a vivid, detailed and neatly layered feel.
92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Outer quote mark A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Awatea Cabernets-Merlot is a bit leafy on the nose, with herbal, tobacco-tinged aromas accenting cassis and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied and supple on the palate, finishing long, silky and mouthwatering.
92 points, Vinous
Outer quote mark From the home of New Zealand's most famous Bordeaux-style blend, Coleraine, its sibling Awatea is always consistent in offering classic Bordeaux aromas and flavors with the rich vibrancy of the Southern Hemisphere – and with a reasonable price tag. This offers classy, primary fruit with cassis, dried raspberries and plum richness allied with a cool Cabernet Sauvignon expression that's herbal, verging on spearmint, while the Franc proportion offers pencil-lead-like characters. Integrated oak-derived flavors of cedar from 16 months in French oak, as well as tobacco, ensure this is a more serious expression. Fine, grainy tannins linger on the lengthy finish. The final blend is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc.