Tasting Notes 1990
1990 Awatea is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
The wine has been in 55% new oak.
It has a mid ruby/garnet colour, an aroma of cedar, mushrooms and berries, and a palate showing generous soft tannins.
Its ageing potential is 5-9 years from harvest.
Technical Analysis
pH: 3.51
Total acidity as tartaric: 5.6g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual sugar: Dry
Winemaking
The hand-picked grapes were destemmed and crushed, then given a traditional plunged and pumped-over fermentation. They were macerated on skins for a further two weeks, until racking and then pressing.
The finished wine was then aged in 225 litre French oak barrels for 18 months.
Vineyards
1990 Awatea Cabernet/Merlot was harvested between the 12th and 27th April.
Origin
Awatea takes its name from the legendary ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning ‘Eye of the Dawn’) that sailed the Auckland - Sydney - Wellington route in the late 1930’s. The Awatea was requisitioned as a troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.
