Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2013 TE MATA ESTATE COLERAINE CABERNET/ ★★★★★ Breed, rather than brute power, is the hallmark of Coleraine, which since its first vintage in 1982 has carved out an illustrious reputation among New Zealand’s claret-style reds. It is no longer labelled as a Cabernet/Merlot, but in all vintages since 2008, has been the predominant variety. At its best, it is a magical Hawke’s Bay wine with a depth, complexity and subtlety on the level of a top-class Bordeaux. The grapes are grown in the Havelock North hills, in the company’s warm, north-facing Buck and 1982 vineyards, and the wine is matured for 18-20 months in French Oak barriques, predominantly new. In the very classy 2010 vintage (★★★★★), Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for 58 percent of the blend (the highest proportion for a decade), followed by Merlot 36 percent and Cabernet Franc 6 percent (Malbec is definitly not in the recipe). Deeply coloured, it is beautifully fragrant, weighty and supple, with deep blackcurrant, plum, spice an coffee flavours in a supremly elegant and savoury style, showing great finesse and harmony. Sure to be long-lived. SUPER CLASSIC DRY $75 AV

TE MATA ESTATE AWATEA CABERNETS/MERLOT ★★★★★ Positioned below its Coleraine stablemate in Te Mata’s hierarchy of Hawke’s Bay, claret-style reds, since 1995 Awatea has been grown at Havelock North and in the Bullnose Vineyard, inland from Hastings. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc—with a splash of Petit Verdot in most years since 2001—it is hand harvested matured for 18 months in French oak barriques (partly new). Compared to Coleraine, in its youth Awatea is more seductive, more perfumed and tastes more of sweet, ripe fruit, but is more forward and slightly less concentrated. The wine can mature gracefully for many years, but is also typically delicious in its youth. The 2010 vintage ★★★★★( ) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (40%), Cabernet Franc (15%). A classy, highly refined red, it is fragrant and deeply coloured, with loads of plummy, spicy flavour, hints of leather and buts and obvious cellaring potential. Savoury and harmonious, with good tannin backbone, it offers top value. CLASSIC DRY $34 V+

TE MATA ESTATE BULLNOSE ★★★★★ Grown in the Bullnose Vineyard, in The Triangle inland from Hastings, in Hawke’s Bay, this classy red is based on vines up to 20 years old, hand-picked and matured for 15 to 16 months in French oak barriques (35% new). Unlike its Woodthorpe stablemate, it is not blended with , and the vines for the Bullnose label are cropped lower. The 2010 ★★★★★( ) is a top vintage. Deeply coloured, it is finely scented, with deep, youthful plum and black-pepper flavours and a long, well rounded finish. A refined and elegant red, it’s already delicious, but also well worth cellaring. SUPER CLASSIC DRY $44 AV

TE MATA ESTATE ELSTON ★★★★★ One of New Zealand’s most illustrious Chardonnays, Elston is a stylish, intense, slowly evolving Hawke’s Bay wine. At around four years old, it is notably complete, showing concentration and finesse. The grapes are grown principally at two sites in the Te Mata hills at Havelock North, and the wine is fully fermented in French oak barriques (35 percent new), with full malolactic fermentation. The 2011 vintage (★★★★★) is light lemon/green, with a complex, mealy bouquet.Full-bodied and rich, it is tightly structured, with layers of peach, fig, spice and butterscotch flavours, finely balanced acidity, and impressive ripeness, complexity and length. Still youthful, it’s already approachable, but best opened 2014+. SUPER CLASSIC DRY $34V

TE MATA ESTATE CAPE CREST SAUVIGNON BLANC ★★★★★ This oak-aged Hawke’s Bay label is impressive for its ripely herbal, complex, sustained flavours. Most of the grapes come from the company’s relatively warm Bullnose Vineyard, inland from Hastings (the rest is grown at Woodthorpe, in the Dartmoor Valley), and the blend includes small proportions of Sémillon (to add longevity) and Sauvignon Gris (which contributes weight and mouth feel). The wine is fully fermented and lees-aged for eight months in French oak barriques (33 per cent new). In a vertical tasting, the two to four-year-old wines look best – still fresh, but very harmonious. The 2011 vintage (★★★★★) is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (85%), Semillon (11%) and Sauvignon Gris (4%). Highly fragrant, it is weighty, sweet fruited and rounded, with ripe peach and nectraine flavours, a slighty creamy texture, good complexity and a long, dry finish. Drink now onwards. CLASSIC DRY $28 V+ TE MATA ESTATE ZARA VIOGNIER ★★★★ This estate-grown wine is from the Woodthorpe Terraces, on the south side of the Dartmoor Valley in Hawke’s Bay. Hand-picked, it is mostly fermented and lees-aged for eight months in seasoned French oak barriques - some is fermented in tanks - and all of the blend is barrell-aged. The 2010 vintage (★★★★★) has a creamy bouquet leading into a very elegant, sweet-fruited, rounded wine, weighty (14.5% alcohol), with tropical fruit-flavours, slightly buttery and youthful. Best drinking mid-2013+.The 2011 vintage (★★★★★) has a fragrant, creamy bouquet. Fleshy, rich and rounded, it is soft and slightly buttery with peachy, slightly honeyed flavours, showing excellent concentration, texture and complexity. It’s a forward vintage, delicious young. DRY $28 AV

TE MATA ESTATE WOODTHORPE MERLOT/CABERNETS ★★★★ This bargain-priced red wasTe Mata’s biggest seller – and deservedly so. I have not tasted the final 2009 vintage, but from 2010, this label has been replaced by Te Mata Estate Vineyards Merlot/Cabernets (from grapes drawn from all the company’s sites). DRY $20 V+

TE MATA ESTATE WOODTHORPE SYRAH ★★★ The 2011 vintage ★★★( ) was made by co-fermenting Syrah, estate-grown and hand picked in the Woodthorpe Vineyard, in Hawke’s Bay, with a splash (4%) of Viognier. French oak-aged for 13 months, it is ruby-hued, with a fragrant, peppery bouquet. Meduim-bodied, it’s a lighter style than usual, with fresh plum/spice flavours, gentle tannins, and good drink-young appeal. (This label will be replaced from 2012 with a new Estate Vineyards Syrah). DRY $19 V+

TE MATA ESTATE VINEYARDS NOIR ★★★★ The 2012 vintage ★★★★( ) replaces the Woodthorpe Vineyard label. Matured briefly in seasoned French oak, it has bright, light red colour and fresh, strong red berry and spice aromas and flavours. Showing a touch of savoury complexity, it’s a ripe, generous wine, delicious from the start.

DRY $20 V+

TE MATA ESTATE WOODTHORPE CHARDONNAY ★★★ This bargain-priced Hawke’s Bay wine is grown in the company’s inland Woodthorpe Vineyard in the Dartmoor Valley. Fermented and lees- aged in a mix of tanks and French oak barrels, it is typically a harmonious wine with ripe grapefruit characters enriched with biscuity oak and very good richness and complexity. The 2010 vintage ★★★( ) was 33 per cent barrell-fermented and barrel-aged. Still youthful, it is crisp and dry, with fresh, vibrant, citrusy flavours to the fore, and biscuity, mealy notes adding a touch of complexity. Best drinking 2013-2014. DRY $20 V+

TE MATA ESTATE VINEYARDS SAUVIGNON BLANC ★★★ The debut 2012 vintage (★★★ ) has replaced the former single site Woodthorpe Vineyard label. Handled entirely in tanks, it is aromatic, fresh, crisp and dry, with strong melon, passionfruit and lime flavours, showing good drive and length DRY $20 V+