Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
90
/100
Reviews
13
professional
Vintages
No vintages
NV
Community Reviews
1919
Reviews
89.8
Avg Score
93
Highest
Taster #1056
· Jan 18, 2026
88/100
A bit of VA which scared me at first but it’s a pleasant wine. Not flashy, soft fat tannins on the finish, not raspy. It’s refreshing claret. Like old school claret, perhaps a 2nd wine from a minor classed growth. Clean and not green nor mean, but no fireworks either. 14%, cork.
2007 vintage
Taster #7565
· Feb 13, 2025
Angelica Wine Club - New Zealand (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield) : Leather, earth, spice, blackcurrant pyrazine, fruit slightly dried out, a little cedar. Medium plus intensity acidity, slightly dilute fruit, cedary tannins dry out the finish. Perhaps slightly too old?
2007 vintage
Taster #4456
· Mar 17, 2023
90/100
Aged well good earth notes. Still has plenty of fruit and will age well for a few more years.
2007 vintage
Taster #1056
· Dec 3, 2022
89/100
Pleasant Bordeaux like. It has largely just softened with age. Not a lot of character. Tannin still, but soft acidity. 14%, cork. I wish Te Mata would give up on corks.
2007 vintage
Taster #8101
· Jun 14, 2021
No faker here. Deep minus ruby with a brick rim, showing age. Low viscosity, almost oily. Medium nose. Black fruit, a little licorice, no spice. Palate big fine tannin and medium plus acidity. Fruit forward. Well blended. Sediment present. Broke the cork so had to drink the whole bottle....woops.
2007 vintage
Taster #7502
· Apr 15, 2020
15/4/2020 Opened a bottle an hour before tasting with some friends on zoom Stil plenty of fruit flavours bold
2007 vintage
Taster #6302
· Aug 17, 2019
Straight of the bottle - rough tannins Only took ten minutes to open up enough to be highly enjoyable. Light fruit, with still noticeable mouth-puckering tannins; these faded totally after an hour or two in the decanter.
2007 vintage
Taster #6670
· Jan 26, 2018
I differ from the last reviewer: this wine shows no sign of decline. The black currant and red plum fruit is still strong; tannins are smooth and strong, and acid is still commendably biting. The wine is good - very good value (not an expensive Bordeaux blend), no rough edges, but not overly complex - even at 11 years of age.
2007 vintage
Taster #8938
· May 29, 2016
Popped and poured, and then decanted for an hour. The first glass seemed quite closed and the tannin was very prominent. After an hour the fruit (plums and a bit of black currant) had opened up somewhat but it was unable to balance out the mouth puckering tannin, even with food, undermining the whole experience. I can't see this getting any better, in fact I reckon this was left about a year too long in the cellar.
2007 vintage
Taster #8248
· Feb 6, 2015
90/100
Cabernet coming through- great nose but possibly a bit flat on palate- maybe needs a bit more air? Identifiable cedar on the nose
2007 vintage
Taster #2135
· Jun 9, 2014
91/100
Still pretty tight. Quite a big wine with lovely Cabernet black fruits with some cedar and cab franc herbaceous. This needs another 5 years to really come together - was much better on the 2nd day. Tannins still quite firm but are fine and ripe. Will be a nice complex richer claret style with more time. A well made and interesting awatea.
2007 vintage
Taster #9028
· Apr 16, 2014
93/100
Took a while to open up which suggests that it needs more cellar time, but beautiful wine after a couple of hours.
2007 vintage
Taster #3791
· Apr 20, 2013
88/100
From half bottle, much more developed, maybe just a hint of cork influence, but still decent.
2007 vintage
Taster #7536
· Apr 12, 2013
89/100
Full bodied, chewy and tannic. Quite Bordeaux like but could have done with another 2-4 years.
2007 vintage
Taster #3791
· May 30, 2012
90/100
Same as my last note really! Should have been patient.
2007 vintage
Taster #3791
· Feb 18, 2012
91/100
Elegant and well structured, still young but starting to come together. Ok to drink now but more years will help.
2007 vintage
Taster #0653
· Oct 19, 2011
92/100
Youthful, plenty of primary fruit, still tight and slightly tannic. Lovely finish, but not all that long. Very Bordeaux and not like other HB 07's I have tried
2007 vintage
Taster #3791
· Dec 9, 2010
89/100
Lovely fruit, but still way too young. Will be superb given at least 5 years, and I suspect will go 10 easily if well cellared.
2007 vintage
Taster #7031
· Jul 29, 2009
88/100
Blackcurrants, thyme and some spice. Rich strawberry and cracked pepper palette, good balance but very young - "grippy" tannins.
2007 vintage