The wine offers splendid juicy fruit attack on the nose, showing dark plum and raspberry coulis characters with nuances of toasted almond, thyme and mixed spice. The palate is succulent and beautifully rounded, offering lovely flow and supple texture.Wonderfully composed and elegantly expressed with loads of delectable flavours, superbly structured by polished tannins. Delicious already with a potential to evolve gracefully. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot and 5% cabernet franc.

Black fruit, tobacco, dried flower perfume, cocoa with a sprinkle of baking spice. It’s proudly medium-bodied, light but lithe and well-knit. Mineral feel and lead pencil savoury stuff, a little redcurrant and cool acidity, firm and dry tannin, dried herb and delightful clarety mouth-perfume, sure length and mocha in the aftertaste. Wonderful wine. So adult. So poised and sure-footed.

Compared with Coleraine, Awatea is less dense but more approachable in its youth. Fragrant and refined, this full-bodied (13% alc/vol) blend has ripe-cassis, red-berry, plum and spice flavours, in a less fruit-crammed, markedly more savoury and earthy style than most Hawke’s Bay reds. Best drinking 2022-plus. 4.5 stars.

Compared with Coleraine, Awatea is less dense but more approachable in its youth. Fragrant and refined, this full-bodied (13% alc/vol) blend has ripe-cassis, red-berry, plum and spice flavours, in a less fruit-crammed, markedly more savoury and earthy style than most Hawke’s Bay reds. Best drinking 2022-plus. 4.5 stars.