First produced in 1982, Coleraine is New Zealand’s most famous red wine. Coleraine derives its name from the Coleraine vineyard, home of John and Wendy Buck of Te Mata Estate. John’s late grandfather was born in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and the name has been maintained through the family home to the wine. A single vineyard wine until 1989, Coleraine is an assemblage of the finest wines produced from distinct plots within Te Mata Estate’s oldest Havelock Hills vineyards first planted in 1892.

Coleraine 2018 was hand harvested from separate plots within Te Mata’s Havelock Hills vineyards between March 26 – April 20, 2018.

Each parcel of grapes was destemmed before a traditional warm, plunged fermentation and extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then run to predominately new French oak barrels for 17 months’ maturation. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in January 2019 and then returned to barrel. The finished wine was bottled in December 2019.

A deep midnight-magenta, Coleraine 2018 is symphonic in its harmony and presence. The aromatics are immediately varietal with grace notes of cassis, raspberry leaf, fresh roses, dark chocolate, lifted black cherry, espresso and cedar.

The palate deepens the opening theme. There’s tapenade, darkest blackberry and ripe plum while underneath, quietly, a precise, profound tannin structure resonates.

Powerful, deep-set, graceful and complex, Coleraine 2018 is refined to an exquisite point while still retaining freshness and balance. It lingers after tasting. Layered and composed, resplendent and resolved, a gloriously seductive ensemble celebratory of all that fine New Zealand wine can be.