Showcase Range Shot

All Wines

Explore Te Mata.

Screenshot 2025-07-22 at 12.22.00 PM

Showcase Wines

Coleraine, Bullnose, Awatea, Alma, Elston & Cape Crest.

Gamay

Estate Wines

Everyday luxury. Ready now.

Showcase Header

Limited Selections

Gifts for holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, retirements, special occasions and long weekends.

#Giftcards

Digital gift cards for wine credit.

  • Available Now – For a Limited Time

    By

    In the realm of Te Mata, Coleraine is the crowning jewel – a cabernet sauvignon that embodies the essence of the variety’s title: The King of Grapes.

     

     

    The result of an unprecedented vintage, Coleraine ’23 is a remarkable fine wine. You can access the full techinical Vintage Report here.

     

     

     

    The illustrious 2023, reigns supreme with a level of expression and finesse as robust as its lineage.A stately example of coastal cabernet, the Coleraine ’23 harmonizes intricate varietal notes with an elegant structureand a power that feels both balanced and commanding.

    At its core lies the indomitable characteristics of cabernet –the grape upon which Coleraine’s reign has always been built.Te Mata’s cabernet collection, sourced from seven noble selections across 24 vineyard parcels, is majestic in theColeraine ’23 blend, commanding a regal 80% of the composition.

    Joined by 15% merlot and a touch of 5% cabernet franc, this royal assembly reflects the multitude of soil types and vineyard sites that define oursub-regions. Coleraine is New Zealand’s greatest red wine – a true returning king in every sense.

     

    THE BEST NEW ZEALAND WINES OF 2024 – #1 COLERAINE IS OFTEN CONSIDERED NEW ZEALAND’S ‘FIRST GROWTH’, COLERAINE IS EASILY THE ESTATE’S MOSTFAMOUS AND INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE WINE. AT US$92 (NZ$160), AN EXTRAORDINARY PRICE FORONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S – AND THE WORLD’S – GREATEST WINES.COLERAINE IS, INDEED, NEW ZEALAND’S BEST WINE.- DON KAVANAGH, WINE SEARCHER

    COLERAINE IS NEW ZEALAND’S MOST ICONIC RED WINE.IT HAS EARNED THAT STATUS SINCE 1982.- BOB CAMPBELL MW

    EVERY BIT NEW ZEALAND’S ‘FIRST GROWTH’, WITH A REPUTATION FORUNWAVERING CONSISTENCY. JUST GLORY.- ANDREW GRAHAM, AUSTRALIAN WINE REVIEW

    THE LEGENDARY CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND MERLOT BLEND OF NEW ZEALAND.NEW ZEALAND’S SASSICAIA.- JAMES SUCKLING, JAMESSUCKLING.COM

    COLERAINE FROM TE MATA IS NEW ZEALAND’S GREATEST CABERNET BLEND … EVERY 1% PAYS OFF,AND THAT IS THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD ESTATE AND A GREAT ONE.- ERIN LARKIN, ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE

    Coleraine ’23 is available here.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Coleraine Leads The Bidding

    By

    ‘The recent pandemic reaction closed borders all over the world removing global travel as an outlet option for discretionary income. This has meant people with means have had to look elsewhere for something to spend the money they had budgeted for experiential consumption as opposed to those funds earmarked for developing more purely financial returns. 

    Of course, they could have just tweaked their budgets to jam yet more cash into their commercial property or crypto currency portfolios but, seeing as they had already mentally put this money aside for other purposes, many didn’t automatically do this. Instead, they allowed themselves to wander into verdant green investment fields – just for fun, as a defiant riposte to having the joys of exploring a Cairo rug market on a Saturday morning snatched away from them.

    Two of the categories to benefit most from this investment rambling have been the respective worlds of art and wine:

    Art vs Wine

    Everyone knows the benefits of art investment can be stupendous; news outlets seem to delight in reporting the latest ‘ridiculous’ sums paid for some doodle created by Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci or, especially of late, Vincent Van Gogh. Yet it hasn’t just been the gallery headliners who have cashed in during the pandemic, anecdotally local artists in places like the Kapiti Coast and Waiheke Island have never had it so good as investors have flocked in pushing both prices and turnover up.

    But art investment does have a couple of not-insignificant drawbacks; the somewhat macabre practice of waiting for the artists themselves to die before seeing a major value jump; and the fact that it isn’t very experiential. Aside from that weird craze of bicycle eating a few years ago, consuming your art investment has never really caught on. (Although you can never discount that completely as it appears some people will do absolutely anything to gain followers on TikTok!)

    On the other hand, wine investment offers the delicious option of actually drinking your assets in future should you choose to do so. This could be to celebrate a momentous occasion such as a daughter’s wedding or to impress – and hopefully win new/continued business from – important and highly valued clients.

    Te Mata Coleraine

    Air New Zealand did the latter recently when they busted out two vertical collections – i.e., a bottle of every vintage from 1982 until the present – of Te Mata Estate’s iconic Coleraine wine at an exclusive tasting for international guests in both Australia and New Zealand. The company had bought the wine assemblages at a 2016 auction at Mossgreen Webb’s Auction House for $5,600 – or for around $195 a bottle. At the time this was both the largest single-wine collection and highest overall auction price for any New Zealand wine ever. 

    A mere year later this record went west however as Webb’s Auction House in Auckland notified Te Mata that their Coleraine ’07 was now fetching $204 per bottle. Soon after, Coleraine ’03 set yet another new record of $216 a bottle. 

    Of course, part of this regular increase in value is due to the exceptional quality of Te Mata Coleraine and the high esteem in which the wine is regarded internationally. Well-respected wine critics like Huon Hooke of Australia’s The Real Review have described Coleraine as ‘a great wine from the very first vintage’ while Linda Murphy wrote: ‘Te Mata Estate’s Coleraine is a New Zealand national treasure.’ The Coleraine’s reputation as New Zealand’s only repeatedly 100 Point scoring wine has also seen it regularly listed in James Suckling’s ‘Top 50 Wines of the World.’

    Yet more records

    But the true impact of the last two years or so of pandemic-instigated wine investment can be seen in the massive step up in value from those auction prices only a few years ago to more contemporary times. In early 2021, Webb’s Auction House made ‘another record-breaking sale’ for Te Mata wines this time including aged Awatea, Elston, Cape Crest and Zara Viognier as well as Coleraine. But by the end of last year, Coleraine was at it again with one of the first ever 1982 vintages going for a staggering $948. Considering that the original bottle had been sold on the shelves for only $15 – it seems to have proved a pretty good investment!

    Obviously, with returns like that, wine investment is here to stay and it also seems to be fast becoming the new norm as a secondary market fundraiser too. Another complete vertical Coleraine collection was bought for $19,000 in 2018 by Nick Stewart of Stewart Financial Group who then promptly donated it to charity. This collection is about to go to auction now with all proceeds earmarked to go to the Cranford Hospice and, going by the current trajectory, they should expect a very tidy windfall indeed.

    The future of discretionary income investment?

    So now, even though the borders are reopening across the globe, universal shortages in flights, cabin and ground crew staff have meant that international travel has a long way to go yet to reach the user-friendly levels we all enjoyed pre-Covid. Until these issues are rectified, perhaps it might be prudent to consider using your potential discretionary income on wine investment rather than book air tickets that could get cancelled again and again due to staff shortages here, there and everywhere. And, in the unlikely event that your wine doesn’t perform as well as you hoped, you can always just throw a great big party to drink it all and damn the torpedoes. Talk about an experiential win/win!’

     

  • Celebrating Sustainability

    By

    This year is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme.

    We are proud to see its success. Te Mata as one of the five wineries to spearheaded by five wineries this in the late 20th century and the first to have vineyards and winery accredited under the system.

    “The industry leaders were passionate and innovative. They could see the opportunities for an export-focused wine industry. They knew the importance of sustainability to ensure New Zealand wine would be internationally renowned for its premium reputation. They also believed the way forward was to unite winegrowers and winemakers. Working together would ensure success.” – Fabian Yukich, chair of New Zealand Winegrowers.

     

     

    SWNZ has assumed a role of major importance in the nation’s burgeoning wine industry, with 96% of vineyards now certified as sustainably farmed.

    The NZ Winegrowers body also highlights that exports of New Zealand wine exceeded $2b in value in 2024 – a significant gain over the 2002 figure of $246m per annum – with that growth being underpinned by the industry’s sustainable approach. 

    The SWNZ programme focuses on six key metrics: climate change, water, waste, plant protection, soil and people.

     

     

  • ‘On Investment and Ageing’ Bob Campbell MW

    By

    ‘Take for example Te Mata Estate Coleraine – this highly collectable red is snapped up every year it is released.’

    Want to age that bottle, but don’t know how to store it? Or for how long? This month in Kia Ora Magazine, Bob Campbell MW writes about ageing New Zealand reds and tasting an older Coleraine:

    ‘Anyone who has held on to a special wine for a long time faces the dilemma of when to open it. I was asked about this by a friend who had stored a magnum of Te Mata Estate Coleraine 2000 since he bought it 16 years ago. It is a robust blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.

    My heart sank slightly when he told me he’d stored it in the garage. “It’s quite cool,” he added. Variable storage temperatures cause wines to leak past the cork allowing air to enter the bottle. You can get an idea of how well an old wine has been stored by standing the bottle upright and looking at the gap between the cork and wine level. If the gap is less than 10mm there’s every chance it will be fine. As the level drops so do your chance of tasting good wine.

    Corks vary considerably too and, as a result, so does the wine in each bottle. There was a possibility poor storage or a dodgy cork had allowed by friend’s Coleraine to spoil. I suggested the wine be opened and enjoyed as soon as possible. We set a date for dinner.

    There was an air of anticipation among the dinner guests. We could be tasting a great wine, but we might be sipping vinegar. The wine level was perfect, raising hopes. A crumbly cork had our host worried, but the cork chips were easily removed with a tea strainer.

    The wine was better than I’d dared to expect. Age had given it a silken texture. It was a peacock’s tail of flavours – delicate berry and floral characters with oriental spices, cigar box, old leather and a hint of nutty oak.

    Our latest Cellaring Guide is available online, as well as our recommended storage protocols…

  • Coleraine Named NZ #1 Wine for 2024

    By

    We are thrilled! And honoured to have our team recognised for their efforts.

    Our belief is that the evolution of the wine had made modern examples of Coleraine even more precise and refined than ever before.

    To celebrate Coleraine ’22 has been made available for the lead up to Christmas. And there is still some available in magnums for collectors.

    “The rating is based on aggregated critic scores across all vintages listed by Wine Searcher … and Coleraine is, indeed, NZ’s best wine” – Don Kavanagh. Editor, Wine Searcher

    The wine critics include, amongst others, Jancis Robinson MW, Christina Pickard, Tom Cannavan and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

    An excerpt of the article is below, the full article and list is here.

     

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     

    ‘First up, however, is a Bordeaux blend from the Hawke’s Bay. The Coleraine by Te Mata estate takes top spot for this year’s best New Zealand wines. One of the Bay’s most celebrated estates, Te Mata was originally part of a pastoral landholding founded by English immigrant John Chambers in 1854. His son Bernard decided to plant the first vines in 1892, and those original vineyards are still used today.

    Often considered New Zealand’s “First Growth”, the estate has now been in the ownership of the Buck and Morris families since 1974, the families having driven a more modern style of wine to both critical and international acclaim.

    The Coleraine is easily the estate’s most famous and instantly recognizable wine. A blend between Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, although the Cabernet Sauvignon is dominant and, as a result, Coleraine is considered one of New Zealand’s benchmark examples of the grape.

    Back in 2014, the Coleraine was a very affordable $60, today it comes in at a still relatively attainable $92, an extraordinary price for one of New Zealand’s – and the world’s – greatest wines.

    The 2018 vintage was described by Wine Enthusiast as “showcasing the power and ageability of a world-class red with the precision of this traditional estate. Notes of black currant, plum, black olive, baking spice, dried green herbs, vanilla and chocolate are present throughout.”‘

     

     

  • Peter Cowley Joins Wine Hall of Fame

    By

    Now retired, Peter was formerly the Technical Director at Te Mata Estate. One of New Zealand‘s leading winemakers and was a key figure in the development of Te Mata Estate’s culture of wine excellence. Peter describes himself as “a lover of old vineyards and the wines they produce, and fairly old Japanese motorcycles”.

    Peter developed his interest in wine through restaurant work while a student. He attained a BSc in Chemistry at Auckland University and then a Graduate Diploma in Wine from Roseworthy College, near Adelaide. He was awarded the inaugural Hazelgrove Scholarship, which involved microbiology research projects at the Australian Wine Research Institute. After a vintage at the Rouge Homme Winery in Coonawarra under John Vickery, Peter returned to New Zealand.

     

     

    Peter commenced work at Te Mata Estate in 1984 as the sole winemaker and over more than 30 years, oversaw the creation of Te Mata’s range of quality wines. His last role as technical director saw him mentoring the longstanding team responsible for all aspects of Te Mata’s wine production, from vine to bottle.

     

     

    He has enjoyed a distinguished career as a wine judge at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, The Sydney International Wine Competition, The Australian Cool Climate Wine Show and as co-chairperson at the New Zealand International Wine Show since its inception in 2005. In 2019 he received a special, one-off Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Gourmet Traveller WINE’s New Zealand Winemaker of the Year. 

  • Planting trees in Te Mata Park

    By

    This week, in partnership with the Te Mata Park trust, the Te Mata Estate team and their families volunteered their time to plant over 400 native plants and trees along the Chambers Walk at the Te Mata Park.

    As well as being our namesake, our deep connection to Te Mata Peak traces back to the Chambers family, who founded Te Mata Estate in 1896.  As a memorial to their father, John Chambers’ sons gifted a 242 acre reserve, including Te Mata peak, to the people of Hawke’s Bay in 1927 and set up a charitable trust to maintain the land for the community to enjoy.

    It was a great opportunity to support the local community and help take care of this precious resource for the next generation.

    Images: @carlgundersen

     

     

     

  • Nick Buck, Fellow of Hawke’s Bay Wine

    By

    Congratulations to Nick Buck! Te Mata Estate’s CEO was recognised yesterday by Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers as a Fellow of Hawke’s Bay wine.

    This is due to Nick’s long-term commitment to fine wine in our region. He grew up working in wine and built more experience overseas before returning to Hawke’s Bay, remaining, and eventually becoming CEO of the estate.

    In attendance were Sally Duncan – Chair of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers and previously Te Mata’s Marketing Director – and Vince Labat, Te Mata’s Commercial Director. Also there to celebrate were Lisa Buck, Wendy Buck and John Buck – also recognised as a fellow and life member.


    #hbwinegrowers #temataestate #coleraine #sustainability #familybusiness

     

Join the Club

Join the Te Mata Club