Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark, ripe and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley, which is full flavoured wine made with black olive and dried herb complexity which will reward cellaring for up to a decade, longer in good cellaring conditions. 

A superlative wine to keep or decant and serve at room temperature in your best large red wine glasses now. 

Rockford Wines' legacy

Rockford Wines is an icon itself and a relatively new one, established in 1971 by Robert O'Callaghan, who has forged a reputation for preserving winemaking tradition and saving many of the world's oldest grape vines from being pulled up in the Australian Government's vine pull schemes of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Rockford vintage shed houses equipment from 50 to 100 years ago, which was discarded by other wineries as modernisation took over.

Segla is the second wine of the famous Margaux second growth Chateau Rauzan-Segla located in the Margaux appellation, with a long and interesting history dating all the way back to 1661.

The 52 hectare Margaux vineyard of Rauzan Segla has increased in size over the years. While much of their vines are planted on the Cantenac plateau, they also have vines planted in parcels that are close to the little village of Margaux.

The terroir of Rauzan Segla is mostly gravel with clay soils,  planted to 54% Cabernet Sauvignon , 41% Merlot , 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc . The average age of the vines is close to 35 years of age. In 2012, Chateau Rauzan Segla began taking a more organic approach and started using Shire horses to farm a portion of their vineyard.

A quality second wine offering fragrant notes of ripe red fruits, violets and cedar with beautiful length, delicate tannins and superb structure.

100% destemmed but not crushed. The three varieties were cofermented and pumped over once a day to ensure gentle extraction during fermentation. After pressing, the wine remained in tank for malolactic fermentation before being transferred to new French (60%) and seasoned American (40%) oak barriques for maturation. The wine was bottled after 21 months in barrel. 

Tasting Note - Dense almost opaque black cherry colour. A complex hedonistic nose of warm stones, black orchard fruit, cassis, cocoa, tobacco, vanilla and cedar. The palate is rich, dense and generous without being sweet or overt, with the flavours reflecting the nose alongside a distinctive fine gravelly texture and twist of steel. Incredible cellaring potential although will always be delicious.

Son's of Eden Pumpa is a full bodied red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Tempranillo, all grown in the Eden Valley, a higher altitude and slightly cooler climate area of the Barossa Valley. 

This wine is named as a tribute to Len Pumpa and his fellow Eden Valley winemakers who pioneered one of Australia's most challenging but rewarding winemaking regions. 

Eden Valley had a mix of British and continental European settlers that tried their hand at grape-growing. When times were tough particularly in the 1920s many turned away from viticulture, however the Prussian settlers like Len Pumpa persisted in the face of difficulty, preserving the vineyard resources we are custodians of today.

Stone Paddock is a fleshy, dry, full bodied red, modelled on the best from Bordeaux. The blend is Merlot 73%, Cabernet Franc 14%, Cabernet Sauvignon 7.5% and Malbec 5% and is a prime example of great red wine made from the stony soils of Hawke?s Bay. Highly scented plum, blackberry and cassis aromas with hints of five spice, cedar and fine spicy oak. Dark fruit flavours of plum and blackberries are accentuated by lifted ripe aromas of spice and a beautifully balanced tannic structure. 

Coonawarra is one of Australia's famous Cabernet Sauvignon regions and home to 100% of the grapes used to make this full bodied, well structured, dry red, which is produced by winemaker Corey Ryan and Nicholas Crampton. They collectively aim to make great value wines that over deliver and shine a new light on classic styles. If this wine is any indication, they totally succeed - we sell stacks of this and one sip will show you why. 

Te Mata Awatea is often described as a baby Coleraine and is one of Hawke's Bay's most iconic red wines. First made in 1982 as a classic blend of Bordeaux red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Proportions vary each year and the wine was declassified in 2012 due to a cool vintage and the need to separate the two wines, Coleraine and Awatea. Both are excellent and both deliver robust classic reds for drinking now or cellaring for the long term. Awatea delivers excellent value for money for its consistently outstanding quality, great balance of dry spicy flavours and dark fruit forward approachability. 

Te Mata Estate is Hawke's Bay's oldest winery building and one of its oldest wineries; a family owned company with an eye on producing great New Zealand wines modelled on and inspired by the world's classic great wines.

Te Mata Tasting Note
The deep crimson colour of Coleraine ?21, edged in royal purple, is the first clue to this wine?s exceptional character. Pure Hawke?s Bay cabernet aromatics leap from the glass ? wild blackberry, blackcurrant, thyme, and cedar, all interwoven with that signature Coleraine perfume of fresh roses.

The palate precisely balances richness with vibrant energy; modern and varietally expressive, with cassis, raspberry, mocha, spice, and a distinctive minerality that is uniquely 2021. The fruit ripeness is so succulent, it cloaks those profound, chiselled tannins that carry the palate on endlessly. With perfume, power, finesse, and length this is an absolute original. Coleraine ?21 is ?The One?.

Accolades

100 Points ?undeniably THE GOAT of New Zealand wine?, Sam Kim
98 Points ?Is it one of the best Coleraines ever??,  James Suckling
97+ Points  ?Incredible wine?, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
97 Points  ?A smashing cabernet blend?, Huon Hooke, The Real Review

 

The long awaited vintage 2022 Coleraine harnesses the energy and complexity of Te Mata Cabernet Sauvignon, on show at its highest level since the first Coleraine in 1982.

Beautiful floral aromas of lavender, violet, plum and blackcurrant, are all in orbit around the wine?s dark savoury core of tightly wound graphite, nori, coffee grounds, vanilla and tobacco.  The palate is intensely concentrated, with a superbright tension building freshness and precision as layer upon layer of fine polished tannins give pinpoint detail alongside signature, exacting, levels of finesse.

Coleraine '22 is a modern reprise of what makes Coleraine iconic, a wine balancing past and future, heritage and innovation. This is a statement wine, one that lingers both on the palate and in the mind.

 

Te Mata Tasting Note

Coleraine '22 harnesses the energy and complexity of Te Mata cabernet sauvignon, on show at its highest level since the first Coleraine in 1982.

The beautiful floral aromas of lavender, violet, plum and blackcurrant, are all in orbit around the wine?s dark savoury core of tightly wound graphite, nori, coffee grounds, vanilla and tobacco.  The palate is intensely concentrated, with a superbright tension building freshness and precision as layer upon layer of fine polished tannins give pinpoint detail alongside signature, exacting, levels of finesse.

Coleraine '22 is a modern reprise of what makes Coleraine iconic, a wine balancing past and future, heritage and innovation. This is a statement wine, one that lingers both on the palate and in the mind.

Commercial description

The flagship wine of our Waiheke Island vineyard, Te Motu is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend with Merlot and Franc, hand harvested from low-yielding vines.

The wine enjoys extended e?levage and maturing in premium French oak before beginning a minimum 3 year term resting in bottle. On release, the wine shows elegance, complexity and firm yet supple tannins ? the hallmarks of its longevity ? and will continue to reward cellaring.

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The Shotfire Quartage is sourced from the older Thorn-Clarke owned plantings in the Barossa, with 'Kabininge' and 'St Kitts' vineyards being the main contributors.

 This wine is primarily a blend of traditional Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) with Cabernet Sauvignon always being dominant. Whilst the Barossa is famous for Shiraz, Thorn-Clarke is renowned for its Quartage which has collected Trophies for best wine of show and / or class at most major wine shows in Australia over the last 10 years.

This is a deep-maroon red wine. The nose is refreshing and complex with herb and spice coupled with savoury earthy notes of mushroom, dark chocolate and toasted wood. The palate is concentrated in flavour but well resolved in structure with an excellent silky texture. Dark berry and herb and licorice notes on the palate meet cedar and light smoke, with gentle mouth-coating tannins.

Vieux Château des Combes is located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, just five kilometres away from the historic village of Saint-Emilion. This is a deep, ruby red wine. Complex aromas of ripe berries and spice lead into a palate rich with flavours of dark red fruits and coffee.