Dark crimson with a bright purple hue, Estate Merlot/Cabernet ’21 has a complex and evocative scent of plum and blackberry, with the lightest fragrance of cedar. Seamlessly integrated, the aromas deepen on the wine’s palate into succulent, concentrated dark fruit with ripe, soft tannins. Structural, savoury and long, with a salivating acid/tannin balance, Estate Merlot/Cabernet ’21 runs a long, perfect line between approachability and elegance.

The grapes for Estate Merlot/Cabernet ’21 were harvested between 9 March and
29 March 2021 from Te Mata Estate’s own vineyards in the Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa Triangle, Gimblett Gravels and Dartmoor 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 12 months’ maturation before blending. The wines were regularly topped and racked throughout maturation, blended and traditionally egg-white fined before bottling. The final blend is 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc.