2006 Coleraine

The magnificent 2006 Coleraine (43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot) is blessed with a complex nose of macerated cherries, wild strawberry with touches of hung game and leather developing with aeration, the palate full-bodied with an irresistible cashmere texture, a wine that will age effortlessly over 10-15 years. Te Mata is one of the stalwarts of Hawkes Bay; indeed its roots go back to 1892 when Bernard Chambers planted the first small vineyard. But the modern era began when English-born John Buck bought the historic estate in 1974, instigated a long-term replanting program and debuted the first Coleraine (named after his late grandfather's Irish hometown) with the legendary 1982 vintage, a wine that gained international acclaim. Head winemaker Peter Cowley joined two years later and has overseen more than twenty vintages since that time. Importer, American Estates Wines, Summit, NJ; tel. (908) 273-5060