2018 Te Mata Awatea Cabernets Merlot, Hawkes Bay

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.

95 points Christine winemag.com March 2021

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.At its best: 2022 to 2030.

95 points Sam Kim wineorbit.com February 2020

Very deep, bold, bright purple/red colour leads into a superbly fragrant cabernet nose of violets, cassis, cedar and tobacco, while the palate is intense and bright, focused and elegant, with abundant fine tannins but also ready drinkabilty and superb balance. An excellent Awatea, with the structure to age and develop for many years. (48% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 15% cabernet franc) 07 FEB 2020

95 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com Feb 2020 Drink 2022-2038

Dark and bright, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’18 is an inky purple with an electric crimson edge. From a warm and dry vintage, Awatea ’18 shows ripe blackberry and blackcurrant 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, Awatea Cabernets/Merlot ’18 is resplendent in its purity and detail.