Wines Hawke's Bay Te Mata Estate - Cape Crest - 2023

Viniou Reviews

Te Mata Estate's Cape Crest 2023 is a distinguished white blend from the renowned Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand, an area celebrated for its expressive and elegant wines. Cape Crest is traditionally a Sauvignon Blanc-led cuvée, often enriched with small proportions of Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. The grapes are generally sourced from select vineyard sites where the warm days and cool nights favour slow, even ripening. The 2023 vintage benefitted from a temperate growing season, delivering grapes with intense aromatics and lively natural acidity. Vinification typically involves a combination of stainless steel to preserve vibrancy and partial barrel fermentation for added texture and complexity.

Hawke's Bay sits on the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island and is one of the country's oldest and most diversified wine regions. With a maritime climate, the area experiences abundant sunshine, cooling sea breezes, and moderate rainfall, ensuring both freshness and ripeness in the fruit. The soils are predominantly alluvial gravel with pockets of clay and limestone, promoting excellent drainage and imparting distinctive mineral nuances to the wines. Viticulture in Hawke's Bay dates back to the 19th century, giving the region a deep heritage and a reputation for consistently high-quality production, especially for Bordeaux-style reds and aromatic whites.

Cape Crest’s style is vibrant and aromatic, with notes of ripe citrus, guava, passionfruit, and fine hints of fresh-cut herbs and oak spice. It is exquisitely suited to seafood, such as grilled snapper with lemon butter, green-lipped mussels, or freshly shucked oysters. Regional pairings might include New Zealand’s own green shell mussels or kingfish ceviche. Creamy goat’s cheeses, asparagus risotto, or a zesty Thai salad with coriander and lime would also harmonise beautifully with the wine’s mouth-watering acidity and subtle creamy texture.

To best appreciate its aromatic intensity and balance, serve this wine chilled at 8-10°C. Cape Crest is appealing in its youth for its vivid fruit, but it will also reward short-term cellaring, allowing its layers and complexity to evolve further. Enjoy it in good company to experience a genuine taste of Hawke’s Bay sophistication.