TE MATA ESTATE Coleraine

WA: 97

If the 2019 Coleraine got you going, then the 2020 will do just the same, albeit at a different speed. Where the 2019 is evolving into a spicy, elegant, medium-bodied affair, the 2020 Coleraine is all silk, creamy finesse and power. It offers abundant fruit, the oak framing is creamy and soft and the tannins are ductile and firm, fully ensconced in the fruit—embossed into it, even. The wine is chewy with pouch tobacco, graphite, raspberry seed, saffron, raw cocoa and nori sheets. It makes me say, "Yes, yes and yes again." The choice between 2019 and 2020 is purely going to be based on your mood: 2020 will soothe, while 2019 will stoke. 14% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

Vinous: 94

The 2020 Coleraine has a bit more flair and purity on the nose compared to the 2019 with perfumed black cherries, cassis, violet and incense aromas, the oak a little more integrated by direct comparison. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a keen line of acidity, a little more powdery in texture but you cannot help but be seduced by the harmony, pepperiness and length on the finish. One of the best Coleraine vintages in recent years. Tasted from a bottle shipped directly from the estate at the Coleraine vertical in London.