Showing pure crimson red Estate Merlot Cabernets ’23 has a wonderfully aromatic and complex nose of red and black plums and wild berries layered with dried herbs, spice and cedar. The palate is soft and enticing, mid-weight and balanced with beautifully ripe raspberries and plum to the fore with powdery tannins and a savoury complexity finishing long and satisfying. Estate Merlot/Cabernets ’23 will continue to evolve in bottle for five years from harvest.

The grapes for Estate Merlot/Cabernets ’23 were harvested between 28 March and 18 April 2023 from Te Mata Estate’s own vineyards in the Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa Triangle, Dartmoor, Havelock North and Gimblett Gravels sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay.

The individual parcels of each variety from each plot were de-stemmed before a traditional warm fermentation, followed by extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were pressed, returned to tank for malolactic fermentation, then run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for maturation before blending. The wines were regularly topped and racked throughout maturation, blended and traditionally egg-white fined before bottling. The final blend is 61% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc.

Food Pairing: Estate Merlot/Cabernets ’23 is a wonderful accompaniment to mushrooms, grilled meats and hard cheeses.