1998 Te Mata Coleraine Cabernet Merlot.  This is the second time I have been able to drink this wine in the last couple of months and again it was another persons bottle which is fantastic when you are sitting on woefully inadequate stocks yourself for this long term cellar dweller. This time I was extremely impressed with it and how it is travelling. 

The nose is superbly fragrant and beguiling with deep dark rose florals, sweet fruitcake spice, currants and cassis. It is a gorgeously ripe and generous wine and always has been but tonight it showed a side to it which has been slightly lacking in the past; precision, accuracy and detail in structure.  Gorgeous, fine and slinky tannins underpin some lush and still reasonably youthful cassis and black liquorice fruit.  It displays a long refined finish and plenty of poise and class in the mouth.  As predicted by the winery on release, this will be a very long lived vintage.  It will canter for another 5 years at which time we can re evaluate.  Well stored pristine bottles should reach the 20 year mark.  This bottle scores an impressive 102/109