Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay 2012
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Winemaker Notes
This is the 20th vintage we have made of Mate's Vineyard with the low-yielding Mendoza clone Chardonnay and this is the only remaining vineyard we have planted with the Mendoza clone. The vine age and the distinctive characteristics of this clone help give Mate's Vineyard its unique character. This vineyard has always displayed a lifted fruit aroma reminiscent of ripe pears, but with a mineral edge. The palate is always long and concentrated. The 2012 vintage has given a wine that shows the complexity and concentration we expect from this vineyard with great tautness and length on the palate.
This will evolve beautifully over the next six to eight years and beyond.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Toasted hazelnuts appear on the peach-accented nose of the 2012 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay. It's on the border between youthful and mature, at an attractive place in its evolution. Medium to full-bodied, silky and complex, it finishes long and elegant.
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Wine Enthusiast
Citrus and baking spices mark the nose of this New Zealand classic. It’s medium in body yet creamy in texture, with a long, mouthwatering finish that echoes with hints of pineapple, vanilla and cinnamon.
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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.