First made in 1982, Awatea continues to represent the best of the classic Hawke's Bay Cabernet/Merlot blend. 

Awatea takes its name from the historic ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning ?Eye of the Dawn?) that sailed the Auckland ? Sydney ? Wellington route in the late 1930s. The Awatea was requisitioned as a troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

A deep brilliant crimson with an underlying amethyst hue, Awatea ?21 immediately offers up concentrated blackcurrant, blackberry, dark plum, cocoa-powder and cedar with a subtle marine note in the background. The ripe dark and red fruit is fresh and varietally defined, enlivening the wine with layers of brightness, persistence and appeal. This depth of fruit, balanced by the bright, ripe, acid tension, carries right through to its fine dry finish. The most concentrated Awatea ever this ?21 is a delight.