Two Luxe Red & White Wine Easter Gift-Wrapped

Delight in the elegance of Easter with this beautifully curated gift set featuring a luxurious red and white wine duo. Expertly selected to offer balance and sophistication, these premium wines are wrapped in stunning Easter-themed packaging, making them the perfect choice for gifting or celebrating. A timeless pairing to enhance your holiday table or share with loved ones.

1 x Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2018 - Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards (2007 Vintage)
Silver - International Wine Challenge (2007 Vintage)

95/100 Wine Enthusiast
95/100 - Huon Hooke
92/100 - Robert Parker
17/20 Jancis Robinson
95/100 Sam Kim (2017 Vintage)
94/100 The Wine Front (2017 Vintage)
93/100 Tom Cannavan (2017 Vintage)
92/100 Wine Enthusiast (2017 Vintage)

Te Mata Estate is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most important wine producers

Wine Enthusiast "This is an excellent bottling of Awatea, the younger brother of Te Mata's top red, Coleraine. From a long, warm growing season, this feels like a complete wine. Winter warming notes of plump plums, dark cherries and chocolate are complemented by a bounty of dried herbs, spices and graphite. The palate is similarly dense and structured but with elegance and balance. Tannins are powdery and fine, winding through dark, tangy fruit and herbs. Like many of Te Mata's wines, it has an old school Bordeaux vibe that will appeal more to some than to others. Christina Pickard"

Huon Hooke" Very deep, bold, bright purple/red colour leads into a superbly fragrant cabernet nose of violets, cassis, cedar and tobacco, while the palate is intense and bright, focused and elegant, with abundant fine tannins but also ready drinkabilty and superb balance. An excellent Awatea, with the structure to age and develop for many years. (48% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 15% cabernet franc)"

Robert Parker - "A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Awatea Cabernets-Merlot is a bit leafy on the nose, with herbal, tobacco-tinged aromas accenting cassis and black cherries. It's medium to full-bodied and supple on the palate, finishing long, silky and mouthwatering."

Gary Walsh '...Wonderful wine. So adult, so poised and sure footed...... [Te Mata's] Coleraine most often is a fair leap ahead of Awatea, but this year they almost pack into the same scrum with equal weight. Black fruit, tobacco, dried flower perfume, cocoa with a sprinkle of baking spice. Its proudly medium-bodied, light but lithe and well-knit. Mineral feel and lead pencil savoury stuff, a little redcurrant and cool acidity, firm and dry tannin, dried herb and delightful clarity mouth-perfume, sure length and mocha in the after taste."" (2017 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast ""Te Mata's Awatea red blend costs less than half the price of the Coleraine and yet is cut from a very similar cloth. With a little less Cabernet Sauvignon and more Merlot than the latter, along with a touch of Cabernet Franc, it's more red fruited on the nose, weaving between crushed flower petals, herbal tonic, vanilla and graphite nuances. There's a softness here that's apparent on the palate too, where a silky texture belies the power of tight-grained herbaceous tannins. More immediately approachable than the Coleraine, it could nevertheless cellar until 2029."" (2017 Vintage)

Sam Kim ""Wonderfully composed and elegantly expressed with loads of delectable flavours, superbly structured by polished tannins. Delicious already with a potential to evolve gracefully......The wine offers splendid juicy fruit attack on the nose, showing dark plum and raspberry coulis characters with nuances of toasted almond, thyme and mixed spice. The palate is succulent and beautifully rounded, offering lovely flow and supple texture."" (2017 Vintage)

The Winemaker ""glimmers with bright raspberry, cherry and blackberry sparkling over mocha, cedar and spice.....Aromas of red and dark berry fruit, flashes of boysenberry and espresso on the palate, and a classical, super-fine, tannin structure running through to its long finish..."" (2017 Vintage)

Tom Cannavan "A touch more floral and lifted than the 2016, a bit of tapenade, racy cherry and raspberry, the same fruit complexity of red over dark, but super-juicy, a squirt of lemon juice and edgy, energetic flavours are crisp and fresh in the finish over black fruit." (2017 Vintage)

World of Fine Wine 'Getting to know a legend' ""A visit to one of the world’s greatest fine-wine estates should be an integral part of any tour of New Zealand. On the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island is the independently owned, family-run, Te Mata Estate. Owners and staff still work on vineyards that began growing Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir back in the 1890s, making it the country’s oldest wine estate. Since 1905, this winery has been winning gold medals globally, which led to these sites becoming the country’s first to be protected by law due to their viticultural history. Te Mata Estate wines are currently available in 45 countries and have been presented at some of the world’s top tables— including to President Barrack Obama, President Xi Jinping, and Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.""

Raymond Chan ""Te Mata Estate was the standard by which every other wine producer could be judged against, as the full range of styles has always been impeccable. In the earlier days, Hawke’s Bay was the scene of New Zealand’s quality wine, so it was very apt to have Te Mata Estate as the point of reference. Even when other regions developed, and Marlborough grew larger, and other varietals such as Pinot Noir became important, one could understand the state of the New Zealand wine industry by how Te Mata Estate behaved or reacted to influences, whether internal, or international.""

Te Mata Estate is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most important wine producers. It is New Zealand's oldest winery, oldest wine estate and has the oldest winery cellars in the country - in continuous operation since 1895. Coleraine is Te Mata's most acclaimed wine and is often regarded as New Zealand's best red wine.

Hawke's Bay is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island in and around the cities of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North. This historic region has New Zealand's second-largest wine industry (after Marlborough) and is highly regarded for its red Bordeaux Blend wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay are all planted widely across the region. Over the years, the region has won international acclaim for its very high-quality Bordeaux-style reds and full-bodied Chardonnays. Syrah, produced in a classic European style with strong black-pepper flavors, is another grape variety thought to have great potential here.

Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot wines are made from two of the world's most famous and most widely grown wine grapes. The pair form the foundation of many of the great wines of Bordeaux, where this classic blend (often dubbed ""Bordeaux Blend"") is thought to have originated. For centuries, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been the quintessential Bordeaux wine grapes, but their fame and popularity have now taken them far beyond the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde, to the furthest reaches of the wine world.

In California the blend is often labeled as Meritage – providing the producer meets the requirements of the Meritage Alliance. The Australian regions of Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley are highly regarded for their unique expressions of the blend. A Bordeaux Blend is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as a compulsory component of any Bordeaux Blend along with Merlot. In fact, the majority of Bordeaux Blend wines are often made exclusively from a blend of these two varieties. The remaining components are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. "

1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard GSM 2019 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia

97/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
Bronze - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
94/100 Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion (2018 vintage)
92/100 Ralph Kyte - Powell, The Real Review (2018 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2018 vintage)

5 Star Winery - James Halliday

“Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023 - Shortlisted. Ranked Top 8”.

Organic

Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion "Firm, structuring tannins pervade every aspect of the experience and the oak serves to hold it altogether in an unseen way. This is delicious and serious. Brilliant winemaking and craftsmanship. What a pleasure."

Hooke Huon Hooke, The Real Review " Very deep, dark, bright purple colour, the bouquet raw and concentrated, a trifle callow, with raw power and plenty of astringency. A massive wine that is raw, unready and very firm to finish. It demands more time. And hearty food."

Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion "Savoury to its back teeth, but well fruited and textured, not to mention lengthy. It's a nutty, buoyant, boysenberried shiraz with personality galore but with succulence and softness." (2018 vintage)

Ralph Kyte - Powell, The Real Review "Margaret River’s claim to red wine fame rests very much on its world-class cabernet sauvignons. Shiraz is a lesser light but can be very impressive too. Grenache and mataro are regional rarities, as are three-way blends of the two with shiraz, so this wine shines a light on the possibilities. It’s a very savoury drop, dramatically at odds with the voluptuous grenache-dominant styles of South Australia. It opens with lots of spice and herbal, undergrowthy scents, red berry fruit woven through. The palate is quite sinewy and structured, more about texture than ripe flavour. A tight core of fruit carries through it with a drying, grainy tannic edge behind it. A wine that should develop well in the bottle" (2018 vintage)

James Suckling "There’s a really fragrant kick here with notes of fresh, strawberry and raspberry purée and attractive, spicy lift. Medium body and a smooth, juicy palate that flows in soft, easygoing mode." (2018 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Youthful, deep red/purple colour. The aromas are fresh and primal, with raw berry and spice aromas with herbal bunchy, stemmy overtones. The wine is taut and lean, wiry and firm in the mouth, with complex bunchy perfumes on the nose, but the palate is really quite firm and needs time or hearty food. It surely has potential. " (2018 vintage)

The Winemaker "warm spring with a full water table ensured good flowering and crop set. Summer was moderate with a large rain event mid vintage ensuring wines were never stressed. Picking dates were consistent with recent averages." (2016 Vintage)

70% Grenache, 26% Syrah, 4% Mataro

Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen, and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focus on crafting site expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.

"McHenry Hohnen is tucked away off Bussell Highway to the south of Margaret River. The wines have bound from strength, a comment never truer than under the stewardship of winemaker Jacopo (Japo). Under his leadership, the wines have been catapulted into a new realm of quality. The chardonnays particularly exemplify that hard-to-achieve balance of pleasurable on release, and capable of graceful ageing. The move towards organics and sustainable farming has had a positive impact on the quality of the wines, and it is a delight to witness so much diversity in the vineyards - from experimental clones and new plantings, to sheep, chickens, olives and vegetables. McHenry Hohnen is an estate on the move - divert your eyes at your peril - EL."

Margaret River is one of the best known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined cabernet sauvignon and intensely citrusy chardonnay varieties, the region now produces high quality Semillon-Sauvignon blends and Shiraz.

Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.

GSM is a famous blend of red wine grapes from the Cotes du Rhone region in France. It is made from Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre.

1 x Brokenwood Late Picked Semillon 2022 ~ Hunter Valley, NSW , Australia

91/100 The Wine Front (2021 vintage)
5 Stars - James Halliday

The Winemaker "Brokenwood has quite a history of Late Picked styles starting in 1983 and we have used Semillon, Gewurztraminer from the Hunter and Riesling from McLaren Vale. The fruit is allowed to get a bit riper and then the fermentation stopped when there was a perfect balance between acid, sugar and alcohol."

James Halliday "Brokenwood consistently produces excellent wines. Its big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in 1978 and has fully rehabilitated the vineyard in a vine-by-vine exercise. There is also a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of a diverse business and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood’s high profile fresh and newsworthy. He also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations. In May 2020 Iain announced his retirement, effective 30 June ’20, but he remains on the board of directors and consults on any issue where his experience will assist. Exports to all major markets."

Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5-star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.

The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.

Sémillon is one of the wine world's unsung heroes. The gold-skinned grape produces France's most famous and revered sweet wines, notably Sauternes, and some of the greatest dry white wines of Australia - particulary those in the Hunter Valley.