Winemaker Notes
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay is drawn from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region. The winery is particularly careful in selecting only the very best grapes from these vineyards for their Kumeu River Estate label.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This vintage punches well above its weight division with such complex and expertly curated style. Peach, nectarine, lemon and grapefruit aromas with flinty and pithy allure. The palate has a core of intense peach and citrus flavors with driving mineral and stony undertow to the long, fresh finish. Stunning value here. Drink or hold.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Estate Chardonnay six years from harvest, almost to the date, and the wine is showing white chocolate, cigar leaf, shaved fennel and white peach. On the palate, the wine is complete—rich and full, with acidity that feels undiminished by time and with flavors of caramel wafer, salted peach and something like malt/Ovaltine that kisses the edges of the fruit. I'd be interested to see where this goes, because the finish and acidity remain composed—unfragmented—hinting at a longer life than perhaps the fruit has in it.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Kumeu's estate Chard walks a tightrope of textural richness and delicate fruit. Along with the barrel influence, it exudes notes of melon, citrus, florals and damp, salty undertones like seashells at high tide. In the mouth, bright fruit and a crunch of acidity balance a slippery texture and more oak on the finish. Drink now.
-
Vinous
The 2019 Chardonnay Estate is done in a savory, subtle style and is opening up now. It offers a smooth, rounded texture. Lees and oak-derived oatmeal characters join lemon and nectarine. While tight on the finish, it's balanced and provides line and length. The 2019 is in a delightful spot right now and will continue to evolve gracefully.
Founded in 1944 by Mick Brajkovich, wife Katé and son Maté, Kumeu River was one of the early pioneers in Auckland, New Zealand, that helped to establish its reputation as a world-class wine region. Still family owned and run, Kumeu River continues to pioneer new frontiers: winemaker Michael Brajkovich became New Zealand’s first member of the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine, London, they have been testing and championing screw cap closures for close to 20 years and the winery has gone on to become the globally recognized benchmark for non-Burgundy produced Chardonnay. All Kumeu River wines are hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and demonstrate exclusive use of indigenous yeast fermentation.
The Chardonnays of Kumeu River have gained a strong foothold within the international market, continuously and consistently receiving outstanding accolades. The winery is a globally recognized benchmark for age-worthy Chardonnay outside of Burgundy.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Grape-growers in the local subregions of Clevedon, Matakana and Waiheke Island, focusing on vineyard techniques to maximize quality, are producing very fine Bordeaux Blends from local grapes. Auckland is also an industrial area where winemakers can produce quality wines based on sourced grapes from neighboring regions.