Te Mata is certainly New Zealand’s oldest winery. Many also think it one of the country’s greatest. It was established in 1896 by Bernard Chambers, who planted vines on three parcels of north-facing land on his family’s estate in the Havelock Hills in Hawke’s Bay. Though it has changed hands over the decades, winemaking at the Te Mata estate has been continuous. In the early 20th century it was New Zealand’s largest wine producer, and the estate was the first in the country to be given legally-protected heritage status.
Coleraine is Te Mata’s most acclaimed wine, a Bordeaux-style blend first bottled in 1982 and called a ‘wine legend’ by Decanter magazine alongside many other accolades. Te Mata also has established a world-leading line in Cabernets, Merlots, Syrahs, Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. The esteemed wine writer James Suckling has included both the Te Mata Coleraine and Bullnose Syrah in his Top 50 Wines of the World in the past.