95 points - "The 2022 Awatea Cabernets Merlot is floral and layered with cassis and raspberry, chalk and tobacco, paprika dolce and pink peppercorns. This is modern claret at its finest, and I find it to be beguiling in that way. It's softer and a little less structural than the 2021 but with so much cushioning and fruit. The tannins are firm through the finish, and I feel that balances the sweet fruit well. Yes." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

94+ points - "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." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

94 points - "Deep and bright purple-red colour with a very fresh, youthful and somewhat undevelped fruit-driven bouquet of raspberry, blueberry, violet and mulberry, the palate elegantly formed and medium-full bodied, with fine powdery tannins that dry the finish cleanly. A pristine, pure-fruited style of cabernet blend with medium length and lovely balance." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

First made in 1982, Awatea continues to represent the best of the classic Hawke’s Bay Cabernet/Merlot blend. Floral aromas with intense blackberry, currant, and dark plum flavors lead to a rich, supple palate with a sustained finish.

ORIGIN
Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Māori word meaning ‘Eye of the Dawn’) that sailed the Auckland – Sydney – Wellington route in the late 1930s. The Awatea was requisitioned as troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

VINEYARDS
The grapes for Awatea ’22 were hand-harvested from Te Mata Estate’s vineyards between March 20 and 27, 2022.

WINEMAKING
The separate parcels of grapes were destemmed before a traditional warm-plunged fermentation and extended maceration on skins. The resulting wines were then run to new and seasoned French oak barrels for 15 months. Throughout this time, they were regularly topped and racked. The separate wines were blended in July 2023, then returned to barrel for their second winter. The finished wine was then egg white fined and bottled in November 2023. The final blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS AT BOTTLING
• pH: 3.63
• Total Acidity (as Tartaric): 5.4 g/L
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Residual Sugar: Dry