Kumeu River
This estate and this family continue to amaze us with their wines! In my Roseworthy wine study days, Michael Brajkovich was a legend, spoken about as a great guy, super smart and someone who finished his degree with a perfect score. On top on this obvious intelligence and wisdom, there is also an incredibly hard-working family and some really superb vineyards. This all translates into scintillating chardonnays that should be in every cellar. All these wines are available in only very limited quantity now that word has got out - so get in quick!
Cheers, Randall
"A recent blind tasting of Kumeu River Chardonnays back to 2007 comparing them with some of their finest white burgundy equivalents suggests that, at least from this top producer outside Auckland, New Zealand Chardonnays can more than hold their own. And as for value, they won hands down, costing only a fraction of the wines they trounced." - Jancis Robinson MW
These wines are in stock and available for immediate dispatch!
2021 Kumeu River Ray's Road Chardonnay
Offer: $56 | In 6-Packs: $52!
In Dozens: $49!
NB. New 2022 single vineyards available below!
We opened a bottle of this 2021 to taste yesterday and what an amazing wine it is! Even if I put 2 doz in the cellar, it won't be enough, for it punches so far above its weight, and it's so deliciously savoury and complex; and it has 10 years of ageing potential at least, The power here is restrained but it's there, and it's one of those wines that has so much to offer that not everything is revealed quickly. It's a beautiful, classy, deep and potent nod to Burgundy.
Randall
Randall
"Nectarine, nougat, a little cinnamon and freshly cut fennel. It’s smooth and flavoursome, oatmeal and almond, juicy grapefruit acidity, a lightly chalky texture, and fruity but tight finish of excellent length. Delightful." 94pts! - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
2022 Kumeu Estate Chardonnay
RRP: $54 | Offer: $47
In 6-Packs: $44!
While the Kumeu wines are all gorgeous in their youth, even the estate wine will show its true colours over the next decade as it continues to unfold and improve. While the 2022 is yet to be reviewed, Gary Walsh scored the 2021 94 points and Jancis Robinson said of the 2021 that it was a "fair copy of a fine Chassagne" - considerable praise for a sub-$50 chardonnay - I will be hiding a few of these away!
Randall
Randall
"The excellent 2022 vintage came on the heels of three others, in a magnificent chain of four superb quality harvests. The Kumeu vineyards that contribute to this wine gave us a blend of Chardonnay that is particularly ripe, peachy and not only delicious to drink, but also has the concentration and lingering complexity that we expect from this wine. This is quality Chardonnay wine of style and pedigree that we know has the capability of aging as well as any of its predecessors." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
2020 Kumeu Estate Chardonnay
RRP: $54 | Offer: $47
In 6-Packs: $44!
'Lightly but not excessively reductive on the nose. Already quite expansive on the nose with beautiful impact on the palate: citrus, blossom and really neat acidity without much astringency. Elegant and racy – almost lightweight on the mid palate and then it is impressively persistent. A thorough delight already." 17/20pts! - Jancis Robinson MW
"Rich, textural and silken chardonnay with tree fruit, peach, nectarine, toast and brioche flavours. Seamless wine with a backbone of bright acidity helping to drive a lengthy finish. A stylish, polished chardonnay." 94pts! - Bob Campbell MW
2022 Kumeu River Ray's Road Chardonnay
RRP: $59 | Offer: $53
Rays Road is Kumeu River’s vineyard site in Hawkes Bay that was purchased in 2017. This limestone hillside is at 180 m altitude, with a northerly aspect. It is dry-farmed to yield high quality grapes for wine under the Rays Road name for our Kumeu River label. Grapes were hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in older French oak barrels to give a wine that is zesty and fragrant, with mineral complexity that is very true to its site.
"With the 2022 vintage Rays Road produced very clean and ripe fruit from this unique site. We are now receiving significant quantities of Chardonnay from the new plantings, based on Clones 15 and 548. These allow for a much deeper and more nuanced expression of the Chardonnay variety than the existing Clone 95 plantings, but still with the zesty minerality on the palate. The result is an exciting Rays Road Chardonnay showing white flowers and lemon on the nose, with rich texture and vibrant acidity on the palate." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
2022 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
RRP: $99 | Offer: $89
LIMITED!
"This wine is produced from a vineyard previously owned by Tim and Angela Coddington whose grapes have contributed to the blend of Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay since 1998. It is a vineyard that produces very rich and unctuous Chardonnay that we have long believed could make an excellent single vineyard wine. In 2006 we decided to give Coddington single vineyard status to reflect this vineyard’s unique character. The 2022 vintage continues the run of excellent vintages. Harvested in perfect conditions the 2022 Coddington shows a step up from what we have seen in the past from this vineyard. The wine is beautifully ripe in the yellow peach and apricot spectrum, with a background of toasted oak and caramelised hazelnut. It is the biggest style in our range, and satisfyingly rich as such, but also nicely balanced with its acidity." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
"This wine is produced from a vineyard previously owned by Tim and Angela Coddington whose grapes have contributed to the blend of Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay since 1998. It is a vineyard that produces very rich and unctuous Chardonnay that we have long believed could make an excellent single vineyard wine. In 2006 we decided to give Coddington single vineyard status to reflect this vineyard’s unique character. The 2022 vintage continues the run of excellent vintages. Harvested in perfect conditions the 2022 Coddington shows a step up from what we have seen in the past from this vineyard. The wine is beautifully ripe in the yellow peach and apricot spectrum, with a background of toasted oak and caramelised hazelnut. It is the biggest style in our range, and satisfyingly rich as such, but also nicely balanced with its acidity." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
2022 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
RRP: $115 | Offer: $99
LIMITED!
The previous vintage received a 96pt score from James Suckling!
"Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Mate's Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive mealy minerality. The incredible run of vintages since 2019 has continued with 2022. The conditions during harvest were suburb and 2022 produced a classic Hunting Hill. Very distinctive terroir driven typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. This is an absolute classic example of how great the Chardonnay grape can be: A beautifully powerful, yet elegant and complex wine with long term aging ability." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
The previous vintage received a 96pt score from James Suckling!
"Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Mate's Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive mealy minerality. The incredible run of vintages since 2019 has continued with 2022. The conditions during harvest were suburb and 2022 produced a classic Hunting Hill. Very distinctive terroir driven typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. This is an absolute classic example of how great the Chardonnay grape can be: A beautifully powerful, yet elegant and complex wine with long term aging ability." - Michael Brajkovich MW, winemaker
2022 Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard
RRP: $115 | Offer: $99
LIMITED!
The previous vintage received a 99pt score from James Suckling!
"Kumeu Maté’s is probably [New Zealand's] greatest white wine" - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
"This release marks the 30th vintage for Mate’s Vineyard and continues the amazing run of vintages we have had with this vineyard. The conditions during the 2022 harvest were superb and the fruit from Mate’s Vineyard was ripe and pristine. The resulting wine shows the density, concentration and length that we expect and even though it is somewhat shy on the nose, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will shine through. A fitting 30th vintage." - Michael Brajkovich, winemaker
11 products
11 products
