Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognized wines exclusively from its Hawke's Bay vineyards. The Estate's ownership varied frequently until John and Wendy Buck acquired it in 1978. John and Wendy instigated a twenty-year development program, which commenced with the restoration of the original winery building and the replanting of all of the original vineyards, as well as the acquisition of new vineyard sites.
Cape Crest and its gannet symbol refer to Cape Kidnappers, the southern point of Hawke Bay, home to the world’s largest mainland colony of these remarkable marine birds.
The fully ripe grapes for Cape Crest were hand harvested from individual plots within Te Mata Estate’s vineyards. The separate parcels were each destemmed and lightly crushed, then cooled before a brief period of skin contact. Following pressing and cold-settling, they were run to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for fermentation. The resulting wines were aged on lees, with regular stirring, for a further 11 months before bottling. Cape Crest is a blend of 87% sauvignon blanc, 9% sauvignon gris and 4% semillon.
A bright and pale straw colour, Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc immediately offers up notes of guava, lime juice, white nectarine and white peach, that all lead into a palate exploding with tropical fruit, salinity, and a fine, crystalline acidity. The perfect match for a plump fresh oyster in its half shell, the complexing notes of woodsmoke, grapefruit and juniper in Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc make it satisfy now yet more than capable of ageing. Moreish and complex, this a wine of immense reward.
Light yellow hue leads into a powerful bouquet of nutty, spicy barrel-fermented aromas well meshed with ripe sauvignon fruit aromas, the palate likewise intense and long, with great volume and concentration as well as wonderful focus. A top barrel fermented style of savvy. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 96 Points
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Sauvignon Blanc 87%, Sauvignon Gris 9%, Semillon 4%
Country - New Zealand
Region - Hawke's Bay
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%