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.
Vintage Factsheets
Coleraine derives its name from the Coleraine vineyard, home of John and Wendy Buck of Te Mata Estate. 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.
The Havelock Hills are the heart of Te Mata Estate’s wine production and home to the winery. Te Mata Estate has five sites on these free draining, north-facing slopes, including the 1892 vineyard – one of New Zealand’s oldest vineyards, originally called the Hill Block. Soils to the east of the property are predominantly sandy loam over a sandstone base. Towards the west are sandy loam over clay and silica. The distinctive terrain lies at the intersections of two tectonic plates, which has paved the landscape of steep and gentle sloping terraces, ideal for grape-growing.
The Havelock Hills Vineyards are renowned for producing wines with great balance, power and elegance. In 1996 the Havelock Hills area was recognized for the significance of its natural and viticultural heritage when it was designated the Te Mata Special Character Zone. This legally protected the hills from development and created the first wine appellation in New Zealand.
- Region
- Hawke's Bay
- Appellation
- Hawke's Bay
- Varietal Composition
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
- Aging
- 17 months in predominately new French oak barrels.
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
A deep midnight-magenta, Coleraine 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 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.
Wine Advocate
98 Points
2021
"The 2021 Coleraine is the third in a trio of great vintages and comprises a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. The bouquet is all bramble and spice, with fresh grated nutmeg, a hint of star anise, raw cocoa, raspberry seed, cassis, new leather and iodine. There is also a crushed oyster shell aspect here that I find most appealing. On the palate, the tannins make their presence felt in a register of tactile chewiness and encourage movement and thought. Ultimately, while I find this vintage to be stylistically aligned with 2020, it is very different in its final impact. It feels to me as if 2021 harnesses the structure and intrigue of 2019 with the creamy lushness of 2020 and puts them together in a burst of balance. This wine is like a star coming into existence—there's a bang, a burst of light and a settling period—and it's astoundingly good."
— Erin Larkin, 2025
Vinous
97 Points
2021
“Refined and understated, maintaining this Kiwi thoroughbred's royal reputation. It is a fragrant expression that brings sweetness of ripe, silky fruit without opulence or heaviness. Layers of complex flavor are infused through its concentrated yet satiny core, combining cassis, raspberry, violets, pencil lead, cedar and tea leaf. The finish is long, smoky and scented.”
— Rebecca Gibb, 2023
