Te Mata
Coleraine, Hawke’s Bay
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 is hand-harvested from Te Mata’s Havelock Hills vineyards, the heart of the estate. These five north-facing sites, including the historic 1892 vineyard, feature diverse soils—sandy loam over sandstone in the east, and clay with silica in the west. In 1996, this site was designated New Zealand’s first wine appellation: the Te Mata Special Character Zone.
- Region
- Hawke's Bay
- Appellation
- Hawke's Bay
- Varietal Composition
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
- Aging
- 19 months in French oak barrels; 70% new oak
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
Deep crimson with a purple core, Coleraine offers aromas of rose, cassis, dark cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, black olive, and cedar. The palate is concentrated and seamless, with velvety tannins, fresh acidity, and a long finish. Powerful yet refined, it is built to age.
Jancis Robinson
16.5+ Points
2023
"Mellow – excellent tannin management – and already accessible. Pure cassis and pure, ripe fruit leading up to a dry finish. Needs food but not desperately. Still youthful but certainly drinkable. Perhaps it lacks the depth of the best vintages but is extremely respectable."
— Jancis Robinson, 2025
