Te Mata Estate Coleraine 2023

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Nestled among the slopes of Hawkes Bay, Te Mata Estate is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic wineries. Over the course of its 125-year history, it has earned a reputation for elegant, bordeaux-inspired wines, with some wine commentators describing it as New Zealand’s first growth.

The Te Mata wines also hold a special place here Wine Decoded HQ, as Te Mata’s former chief winemaker – Peter Cowley – was the first winemaker we interviewed. We talked Hawkes Bay, possums, Art Decco and vino of course, taking a look at eight of his wines. You can relive the magic of our inaugural winemaker session here. Phil Brodie has since taken over the role of chief winemaker after 28 years working with Peter, and continues to produce exceptional wines with charm and personality.

The name Coleraine which is today synonymous with outstanding wine year upon year, hails from the township in northern Ireland of the same name, where the late grandfather of Te Mata’s John Buck was born. It was John and his wife Wendy’s wish that this name be maintained through the family home and build a legacy through their wine.

A single vineyard wine until 1989, Coleraine is an assemblage of the finest wines produced from distinct plots within Te Mata Estate’s oldest Havelock Hills vineyards first planted in 1892.

Always a cabernet sauvignon dominant wine, often with merlot and cabernet franc, Coleraine is refined and classical. Very powerful in its youth, Coleraine develops over a substantial time frame and is renowned for its fragrance of ‘old roses’, with elegance and precision contained within a fine, dry, tannin structure.

With a pedigree of over 30 years production, Coleraine collectors loved learning that a thirty-two vintage vertical recently sold for $19,000. At almost $600 a bottle, this is the highest auction price achieved for any collection of New Zealand wine.

The Vineyard

The Havelock Hills Vineyards are renowned for producing wines with great balance, power and elegance. The Awatea, Elston and Coleraine Vineyards (including the Buck family home) are all here, as is our winery, with some grapes travelling only a hundred metres from vine to bottle.

Under vine for over 120 years, and including some of the oldest grape growing sites in New Zealand, the Havelock Hills are protected for their distinct character, special ambience and unique viticultural heritage.

The Winemaking

Each parcel of grapes was destemmed before a traditional warm, plunged fermentation and extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then run to predominately new French oak barrels for 17 months’ maturation. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked.

Where in the World is TeMata?

TeMata is in Hawke’s Bay on the East Coast of the bottom half of the North Island.