Te Mata Coleraine: New Zealand's Benchmark Bordeaux Blend

Te Mata Estate traces its origins to 1854, when English immigrant John Chambers established Te Mata Station in Hawke's Bay. His son Bernard returned from France and planted vines on the north-facing Havelock Hills in 1892, converting the original stables into a winery and establishing Te Mata as New Zealand's oldest commercial winery by 1896. The Chambers family sold the property in 1919, and the estate passed through two owners before being acquired by the Buck and Morris families in 1974, who rebuilt it into a world-class producer. Coleraine was first made in 1982 and quickly became regarded as New Zealand's most famous red wine, with the 2013 vintage selling out from the winery in just ten days.

• 1892: Bernard Chambers plants the first vines on the Havelock Hills, on land acquired from Ngati Kahungunu in 1854
• 1896: Te Mata Estate established as New Zealand's oldest continuously operating commercial winery
• 1974: Buck and Morris families acquire the estate and begin its modern transformation
• 1982: First Coleraine vintage produced, establishing the standard for premium Bordeaux blends in New Zealand

Coleraine is drawn from Te Mata Estate's five vineyards on the north-facing slopes of the Havelock Hills, just outside Havelock North and approximately 15 kilometres south of Napier. These 15 hectares include some of New Zealand's oldest vines, with the original 1892 plantings still in production. In 1996, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council designated the area the Te Mata Special Character Zone, making it New Zealand's first legally protected wine-growing area. The soils are free-draining silt loam and sandy loam, varying from sandstone base in the east to clay and silica in the west. The maritime proximity of the Pacific Ocean creates a temperate climate with long, dry autumns that allow full phenolic ripeness in Bordeaux varieties.

• Havelock Hills: five estate vineyards totalling 15 hectares, north-facing slopes near Te Mata Peak
• Soils: free-draining silt loam and sandy loam, with natural variation across east-west aspects
• Climate: maritime and temperate, with a natural rain shadow keeping soils dry during the ripening season
• Te Mata Special Character Zone (1996): New Zealand's first legally protected wine-growing area, safeguarding the original Chambers vineyards

Coleraine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc completing the assemblage in proportions that shift significantly with each vintage. The 2022, for example, comprised 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, while the 2018 was 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. This vintage-driven flexibility is a hallmark of the wine. Each parcel is destemmed, fermented with traditional warm, plunged fermentation, and given extended maceration on skins before being run to predominantly new French oak barrels for approximately 17 months. The assemblage from distinct Havelock Hills plots has been Te Mata's approach since 1989, when Technical Director Peter Cowley shifted philosophy away from single-vineyard production toward parcel management.

• Cabernet Sauvignon: dominant variety across all vintages, providing the wine's structure, dark fruit, and graphite character
• Merlot and Cabernet Franc: proportions adjusted each vintage to reflect season, contributing mid-palate texture and aromatic complexity
• Oak regime: approximately 17 months in predominantly new French oak barrels, with regular topping and racking
• Assemblage philosophy: distinct Havelock Hills plots vinified separately and blended for greatest expression since 1989

Coleraine's critical record is among the most consistent of any New Zealand red wine. Sam Kim of WineOrbit awarded the 2013 vintage 100 points, describing it as perfection, and it was named among the top wines of 2015 by critics including Bob Campbell MW and reviewers for JamesSuckling.com and RobertParker.com. Both Coleraine and Bullnose Syrah have been listed by James Suckling in his Top 50 Wines of the World. The 1998 Coleraine was profiled by Decanter Magazine in 2017 as a 'Wine Legend,' the only New Zealand wine to have achieved this distinction. The 2022 vintage received 97 points from The Wine Advocate, and the wine is not released in weaker years, most notably skipping 1992, 1993, and 2012.

• 2013: 100 points from Sam Kim, WineOrbit; named in top wines of 2015 by Bob Campbell MW, James Suckling, and Wine Advocate
• 2022: 97 points from The Wine Advocate (Erin Larkin); described as 'New Zealand's greatest Cabernet blend'
• 1998: Profiled as a 'Wine Legend' by Decanter Magazine in 2017, the only New Zealand wine ever to receive this honour
• Coleraine and Bullnose Syrah both listed in James Suckling's Top 50 Wines of the World; Te Mata named one of five Icon Wineries of New Zealand by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Coleraine's structured tannins, moderate alcohol (typically around 13.5%), and layered dark fruit make it a compelling partner for rich, protein-driven dishes. Younger vintages benefit from generous decanting of at least one hour to open their tight tannin structure; Te Mata themselves suggest the wine begins to hit its stride only after 15 or more years of cellaring in top vintages. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius to allow the aromatic complexity to express fully without volatilising alcohol. The wine's age-worthiness means it rewards patience, but the finest recent vintages are structured for a potential cellaring window well beyond 2040.

• Grass-fed beef: dry-aged ribeye, prime rib, or beef Wellington align perfectly with Coleraine's dark fruit and tannin architecture
• Slow-cooked lamb: shoulder or rack of lamb with herbs echoes the wine's herbal lift and fine-grained tannin
• Game meats: venison or duck with red berry reductions complement Coleraine's graphite and tobacco complexity
• Aged hard cheeses: Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged Gouda echo the wine's mineral and savoury secondary characters in mature vintages

Te Mata Estate is an independent, family-owned winery run by John Buck CNZM OBE and his three sons Jonathan, Nick, and Tobias. The estate was among the founding five wineries of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand program, with its vineyards first accredited in 1995 and the winery itself accredited in 2005. Every Te Mata wine carries the SWNZ symbol as confirmation that all production, from vine to bottle, is audited and accredited. The winery has also expanded its vineyard holdings beyond the Havelock Hills to include the 75-hectare Woodthorpe vineyard and two 15-hectare sites in the Bridge Pa Triangle. Te Mata wines are now available in 45 countries and have been served at events ranging from the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II to dinners for former US President Barack Obama.

• SWNZ founding member: vineyards first accredited in 1995, winery accredited in 2005, among the earliest in New Zealand
• Family-owned and operated by the Buck family across two generations, with the winery complex modernised by architect Sir Ian Athfield in the 1980s
• Havelock Hills vineyards are New Zealand's first legally protected wine-growing area, designated the Te Mata Special Character Zone in 1996
• Te Mata wines available in 45 countries; the estate produces approximately 30,000 cases per year across its full portfolio