2013 Te Mata "Cape Crest" Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay

2013 Te Mata "Cape Crest" Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay SKU #1211439

Price: $14.99

RC 96	BC 95	SK 95
JS 93	RP 92

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Professional Reviews

Raymond Chan
96
85% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon and 6% Sauvignon Gris, given skin contact and fully barrel-fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 8 months in new and seasoned French, undergoing batonnage. Bright, light, golden-straw colour with some depth. The nose is softly packed with layers of ripe green stonefruits, nectarines, greengages and pineapple, along with tropical fruits, melded with nutty and creamy barrel-ferment notes. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, rich and packed ripe stonefruit flavours are entwined with nectarines and peaches, unfolding herbs, spices and nuts. The mouthfeel is luscious and creamy in texture, but balanced by a fine line of phenolics and underlying lacy acid cut. The richness and waves of flavour are carried to a very long, lingering finish. This is a beautifully complex, layered barrel-influenced Sauvignon Blanc. 4-5 years.
Bob Campbell
95
Weighty Sauvignon Blanc with nectarine, apple, mineral and slight gunflint characters. Weighty, complex wine that’s about as good as it gets in Hawke’s Bay.
Sam Kim
95
It is intensely aromatic on the nose displaying grapefruit, flint, peach and dried herb characters with subtle nutty complexity. The palate is concentrated and compact, and offers wonderful explosion of flavours, finishing superbly long and mouth-watering. The juice from hand-picked grapes were fermented in new and seasoned French oak barrels, then matured on lees for eight months with regular lees stirring. A blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon Gris. At its best: 2017 to 2025.
James Suckling
93
Hawke's Bay doing Sauvignon Blanc? Yes indeedy. This is a great food wine with a rich mid palate and lovely line. It has an attractive perfume, reminiscent of blackcurrant and grass, and some nutty nuances from 25% new oak. High level of fruit concentration suggestive of low yields. zesty acidity leaves a crisp finish. (RG)
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
92
Blended of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon coming from 35-40 year old vines on a hillside vineyard, the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Cape Crest was barrel fermented and aged for one year. The nose is redolent of lovely grapefruit, toast, lemon curd and passion fruit notes with hints of cedar and yeast. The palate provides a nice core of vibrant grapefruit and tropical flavors, with the oak well integrated but noticeable, and it finishes fresh with great length. Drinking nicely now, it should age 5-7 years+. (92+)

(12/2015)

K&L Notes

**Update 1/16: This was the highest rated NZ Sauv Blanc in Robert Parker's recent report scoring 92+ points!** Though the label only shows Sauvignon Blanc, I have it on good authority that the Cape Crest "proprietary" blend is 85% Savvy, 9% Semillon and 6% Sauvignon Gris. This is NZ Sauv Blanc on another level...but actually it has more in common with Domaine de Chavalier Blanc from Pessac-Leognan in Bordeaux than most New Zealand Savvys. This is concentrated, age-worthy, barrel fermented white wine with truly special character. The nose is full of crushed herbs, wet stones and citrus rind with a whisper of flint and oak spice. The wine has great texture and mouthfeel, dominated by ripe citrus flavors, stony minerals and toasted hazelnut nuances. Such a deep, complex wine with real presence and persistence on the palate. Can't wait to see how this ages...I think it will be rocking in 2-5 years time but it's also totally quaffable today. K&L exclusive direct import! (Ryan Woodhouse, K&L New Zealand wine buyer)

Staff Reviews

By: Ryan Woodhouse
12/7/2015
K&L Staff Member

** Update 11/2015** Te Mata Estate offered us a fantastic deal on another drop of the 2013 Cape Crest...we loved this wine at its regular $20 price point...at $14.99 it's just ridiculous!!! Think of this like age worthy white Bordeaux more than your typical NZ Savvy. Little dashes of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris combined with this wine's fermentation and ageing in french oak give this a distinctly Bordelais complexion. Aromas and flavors of yellow tree fruit, green gauge plum, lemongrass and wet flint. Wonderful texture and mouthfeel from extended lees contact. Fresh, juicy and vibrant. The oak spice and structure kick in to draw out the wine long on the palate. Racy acidity and mineral infused undertones linger forever, phenomenal persistence. Drinking great this summer but will continue to improve for 2-5 years and go on for 10+ if you are so inclined. Te Mata's "Cape Crest" is up there with Domaine de Chevalier Blanc as one of my favorite white wines ever.
Top Value! Drink from 2015 to 2015
By: Jim Chanteloup
7/15/2015
K&L Staff Member

Flat out, this is one of the great barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blancs. Blended with 9% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris, each lot was fermented separately in new and used French oak barrels and left on the lees for 8 months with regular stirring and then blended and spending another 2 months on the fine lees. Gorgeous aromas of light toasted coconut, lemongrass, lime, guava, fig and a floral note leap from the glass. On the palate the wine shows racy acidity with great texture and integration of oak. Think of the wine as more of great white Bordeaux than any "Savvy" you'd expect from New Zealand. AND, if it were from Graves in Bordeaux, it would be 2-3 times the price. No kidding, and seriously good.
By: Kyle Kurani
7/8/2015
K&L Staff Member

White Bordeaux lovers take note, this is some high quality wine that will easily go toe to toe with some of the big boys from France (at a much lower price at that). Full of energy and drive, this white blend raises your eyebrows from the outset with a nose of white flowers and stone fruits, crushed rock and just a hint of bread dough richness. The wine continues into a focused palate delivering pithy citrus and ripe peach notes, perfectly framed by a judicious use of oak. Really pretty amazing wine, if put in front of me blind I would be guess this to be much more expensive just by how serious it comes across. Perfect now for summertime white fish or chicken, will show great in a few years if you practice patience.
By: David Othenin-Girard
6/28/2015
K&L Staff Member

Fun, classically Bordeaux New Zealand SB/Sem blend of the highest order. Musk, funky, melon, tropical fruit. Slight hints of savoriness and jalapeños, but in the most inviting and subtle way. Palate is Meyer lemon and candied guava all the way. The finish is crisp, dry and persistent. Te Mata is one of NZ's most exciting properties and this proves again that we're very, very lucky to represent them stateside.