The 2021 vintage of Awatea Cabernet Merlot from Te Mata Estate is widely regarded as one of the strongest releases in the wine's history. It is a Bordeaux-style blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc, grown in Hawke's Bay and matured for 17 months in French oak.
Professional ratings
| Critic |
Rating |
Highlights |
| Erin Larkin (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) |
96/100 |
Described as dusty and chalky with lavender, crushed rock, tobacco and nori; praised for exceptional structure and length. |
| Gary Walsh (The Wine Front) |
95+ /100 |
"Precision and definition" with blackcurrant, raspberry, tobacco, cedar and mineral freshness; noted its class and long finish. |
| Huon Hooke (The Real Review) |
95/100 |
Refined, vibrant and tightly focused with mulberry, blackcurrant and raspberry; recommended for long-term cellaring. |
| James Suckling |
94/100 |
Fresh flower stems, graphite and roses with tight, linear tannins; suggested waiting 2–3 years before drinking. |
| Michael Cooper |
5 Stars |
Deep blackcurrant, berry and spice flavours, savoury complexity, harmonious finish; best from about 2026 onward. |
Critical consensus
Across reviewers, several themes recur:
- Classic Hawke's Bay Bordeaux blend with pronounced blackcurrant, blackberry, plum and cedar.
- Fresh acidity and mineral character distinguish it from warmer, richer vintages.
- Fine-grained tannins provide structure without heaviness.
- Considered more elegant than opulent, with excellent balance and aging potential.
- Frequently described as one of the best Awatea vintages produced, benefiting from the outstanding 2021 growing season.
Drinking window
Most critics recommend:
- Drink: 2025–2038+
- Peak: approximately 2028–2035, when the Cabernet fruit, cedar, tobacco and earthy complexity are expected to integrate fully.
Overall assessment
The 2021 Awatea is considered an exceptional value among premium New Zealand Bordeaux blends. While it sits below Te Mata's flagship Coleraine in the lineup, many critics regard it as offering much of the same regional character and cellar-worthiness at a significantly lower price. It is particularly attractive to collectors seeking a structured, age-worthy Cabernet-Merlot blend from an outstanding Hawke's Bay vintage.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 96Points
The 2021 Awatea Cabernets Merlot is dusty and chalky aromatically, with lavender and crushed rocks, pouch tobacco and a sheet or two of nori. The wine feels fleshy despite that, and this brings a pleasurable see-saw of savory and succulent. This is an excellent wine and perfumed to the extreme.
A deep brilliant crimson with an underlying amethyst hue, immediately offers up concentrated blackcurrant, blackberry, dark plum, cocoa-powder and cedar with a subtle marine note in the background. The ripe dark and red fruit is fresh and varietally defined, enlivening the wine with layers of brightness, persistence and appeal. This depth of fruit, balanced by the bright, ripe, acid tension, carries right through to its fine dry finish.
