Winemaker Notes
The 2011 Coddington shows the typical ripe, peachy fruit expected from this vineyard site. Due to a small cropping level, there is depth and layers of concentration present in the wine. The palate is forward with a luxurious, creamy texture and lovely balancing acidity. Although clearly delicious in its youth, this wine will benefit from a period of bottle maturation of two to five years.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has some handy restraint and an edge of bright citrus and nectarine fruit with grilled almonds, nougat and honeysuckle - complex and cleverly styled. The palate has sleek, bright acidity at the core of crunchy, flavorsome fruit. Great length and texture. Balanced and even. Grilled-hazelnut and grapefruit finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Meaty, mushroomy notes add an exotic, savory note to the nose of the 2011 Coddington Chardonnay. It's crisp and linear for a Coddington, with vibrant lime and grapefruit still in evidence, particularly on the long, racy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
For whatever reason, the Coddington lacks the extra dimension of the other 2011 Kumeu River Chardonnays. It's still an excellent wine, just linear and crisp, with subtle toast framing citrusy fruit.
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.