Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2022 750ml

Here, we have 44% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc. I asked which Merlot clone they have in the ground at Te Mata, and it’s Entav, which is one of the better ones.

Boysenberry, dusty spice, floral aromatics, tobacco, leaf and mint. Medium-bodied, powdery tannin, very ‘mineral’ acidity, bright but sitting in the wine well, raspberry and plum, complex and chalky firm on a long finish, a little seaweed in the mix. Crisp. Very fine wine. Needs a few more years in bottle. 94+ GARY WALSH, wine front