Te Motu 1996
Te Motu 1996
The flagship wine of the estate, Te Motu is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, hand-harvested from low-yielding vines in the Onetangi Valley.
Upon release, Te Motu 1996 was awarded Gold at the 1999 International Wine Challenge in London — an early signal of the emerging potential of Waiheke Island reds on the international stage.
The following year, French guide Le Bottin Gourmand included the wine in a blind tasting of leading Bordeaux-style wines for its millennial edition.
Awarded 19/20, Te Motu 1996 was ranked among the leading wines in the tasting and was the highest placed non-French wine in a line-up that included Château Margaux 1996, Château Latour 1996, Joseph Phelps Insignia, and Ridge Monte Bello.
Now over three decades from harvest, the wine stands as one of the defining mature vintages in Te Motu’s cellar history.
Tasting Notes:
Firm in texture and pure in flavour, centering around lovely currant, plum and delicately spicy flavours that remain vibrant through the supple finish.
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COMPOSITION
COMPOSITION
Alcohol:
12.5%
Acidity:
5 g/l
Sugar:
<1 g/l
Allergen info:
Contains sulphites. No egg/fish has been used in production.
VINTAGE NOTES
VINTAGE NOTES
Huge fruiting cane vigour carried through from previous season combined with favourable conditions at flowering and fruit-set for an abundant crop. A significant rainfall just prior to veraison renewed vigour. Extremely favourable conditions from veraison to harvest produced remarkably clean fruit with flavours and sugars achieving optimum ripeness in harmony.
CRITIC REVIEWS
CRITIC REVIEWS
‘Best from 2000 through 2010”
Harvey Steiman Wine Spectator U.S.A June 1999
“Opulent fruit as well as gamey, earthy tones make this a truly complex wine with great poise and balance. The flavour lingers on long after the wine is swallowed. A perfectly harmonious red.” Judges International Wine Challenge.
