Te Mata Estate Coleraine Cabernet Merlot 2024 from Hawke’s Bay is a thrilling, cabernet‑led red that bursts from the glass with cassis, dark plum, blackberries, violets, bouquet garni and fine cedar, immediately signalling a benchmark New Zealand Bordeaux‑style blend. It is typically a mix of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, delivering incredible purity and detail.

On the palate, Te Mata Coleraine 2024 is intensely concentrated yet beautifully poised, showing layers of blackcurrant, blueberries, graphite, baking spice, dark tobacco and licorice wrapped in ultra‑fine, velvety tannins and a long, driven finish of mineral freshness and savoury complexity. This is a powerful but perfectly proportioned wine built for decades.

For food, think roasted rib‑eye with bone marrow, venison backstrap, slow‑braised beef cheeks or a truffled mushroom and lentil pie, where the wine’s structure and aromatic complexity elevate every mouthful. Serve Te Mata Coleraine Cabernet Merlot 2024 alongside aged cheddar or hard sheep’s cheese for a luxurious, contemplative finish to the evening.