Saturday, June 13, 2009

Te Mata - New Releases

I just don't get Te Mata. The closest comparison in Australia is probably Mt. Mary. But while Mt. Mary with its Quintet produces wonderful rounded wines, Te Mata is focussed on structure and longevity. While there is nothing wrong with this, when it is at the expense of other aspects, in particular mouthfeel, the result is less than satisfying.

The three 07s I tried were the 07 Awatea, the Bullnose and the Coleraine. There is clearly a house style with redcurrant fruit dominating, the wines have medium weight and an acidic finish. The Coleraine, a blend of the 5 major Bordeaux grapes, is the best of this line-up. It has more depth in the fruit and a very long finish. It will be good to drink in five years and then for probably another ten. But again, the wine is too linear for my palate.

This Coleraine has been hailed as the best red ever produced in New Zealand. To me Te Mata has been overtaken. The 1st generation with a claim of an outstanding red (apart from Pinot Noir) was Stoneyridge Larose, then it was Te Mata, but now the Craggy Range reds are clearly much more interesting wines.

2 comments:

Baz said...

Have you tried any Craggy Range recently?

Alontin said...

Baz

I commented on a couple of Craggy Range Merlots a few posts below. I think they were pretty good. I also have the 2002 Le Sol which I will try shortly. It tasted fantastic on release. I just bought their Cabernet blend and Le Sol from the 2007 vintage which I have high hopes for.