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Monday, September 10, 2012

Te Mata Coleraine 2007, Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand

 
 
Sometimes it is a challenge to take a photo of your wine when you are having guests join you for dinner and you are busy putting that last minute details together. My friend and fellow Sommelier, Sebastian suggested to me it would be a shame to omit a review for this wine.  His request was well supported. Here is a photo of the empty bottle and the cork (more on that later).
 
This wine is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, maturation took place predominantly in new French oak for 20 months with alcohol coming in at 14%. When we opened this wine, I thought that it might be oxidized, the foil was covered with dry wine, half of the top of the cork was covered with dry wine and two separated lines of wine were running the length of the cork, through to the top. The quality of the cork appeared very good and the length was good, but it might not have been as tight as it could have been. This wine opened up with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrants, roasted coffee beans, damp earth, smoky, exotic spices, cedar and mineral notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, bone dry with great structure and energy, balanced acidity and fine grainy tannins. A very good length on a long finish, with a rich combination of smoky dark fruit, minerals and mild tannins.  A gorgeous Bordeaux blend (think Graves here), robust, yet approachable, this wine just keeps getting better the longer it breathes. This bottle was definitely not oxidized, who knows if I would have keep it for another year or two, but today, this wine was much enjoyed by all. Score 93 points.
Purchased September 17, 2011 LCBO New Release (640656) at $59.95 
 

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