The rising of the stars, better known throughout the world as Pleiades, has significance for many cultures. For the Maori it is a signal to start preparation for the new seasons crops. In viticulture, this means pruning so the vines will be ready for the new season's growth.

Matariki lends its name to many products and it comes as no surprise that one of them is wine. Matariki, the wine producer, has its home in Hawkes Bay.

When the Matariki Festival is celebrated in Hawkes Bay, Matariki Wines is a big part of the event. Hot air balloons, to resemble the traditional Maori festive kites flown as part of the celebrations, are launched from the winery. In the 2003 celebrations this week, 12 balloons lifted off.

When visiting the Matariki Winery, there is a wide range of wines to try and amongst the line-up I tasted last weekend was the magnificent Matariki Reserve Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, the first release of a reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from this producer.

Deep blackberry red with concentrated cassis, spice and cedary oak on the nose, cassis, blackberry, plums, dark chocolate and rich leathery characters in the palate, this is a big opulent wine with ripe fruit tannins and a sweet, succulent, dry, spicy and savoury finish. It reeks of quality and is a wine that is made to cellar although it is also delicious drinking right now.

Having tasted this wine last weekend, I should have picked it at a wine options practice just a few days later.

The wine was poured incognito from a jug and our answer of 'predominantly Bordeaux varieties' to the first option question was correct. But on the next question, the country question, the team was debating as to whether the wine was Australian or Kiwi. Aussie said two. Kiwi said the other. The deciding vote was up to me. The leathery richness, the faint hint of Brett, the spicy French oak, the chocolate and tobacco reminded me of the Matariki wines tasted just a few days before. Although with that succulent sweet cassis fruit and the hint of mint that I was getting tonight, it could have possibly been Australian. I decided to back Bill who was going local. Kiwi I said. Just as well, for that was the answer.

If only I had pushed my recollection when it came to Q5. The chocolate and cigar-box, the plums and spice, convinced one, who convinced us all there was some Merlot in there. We finally plumped for a different label that had Merlot in the blend. We were wrong. But we live and learn. Whatever, it was a great wine and for many of us it was the Wine of the Night.

Made by Matariki's winemaker, Greg Foster, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the gravels of Gimblett Road in Hawkes Bay, was matured in a combination of new, one, two and three year old French barriques for 12 months, then in new French oak barriques for another 8 months. The 13.7% alcohol wine was bottled in February 2002.

A magnum of the Matariki Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 was auctioned off alongside a magnum of the Matariki Anthology 2000 at the Hawkes Bay Charity Wine Auction on Queens Birthday weekend. Someone paid the $425 hammer price plus a 12% buyer's premium for the privilege of owning these two special bottles of wines. For just $40 you can buy a 750ml bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a relative bargain.

Find out where to buy and other stuff from the Matariki website.

© Sue Courtney
8 June 2003