Winemaker Notes
Usually the most flamboyant wine when young, the 2013 Coddington is a little subdued on the nose right now but is still showing the typical rich peach aromas along with citrus peel, which is more a reflection of the vintage. The concertation of 2013 really comes through on the palate with a ringing acidity on the long and intense finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Coddington Chardonnay is delicious, complex and nutty, composed and sleek. This shows an intensity of fruit and length that I find utterly attractive, all of it swathed in a cloak of chalky minerality. There's not a lot more to be said of this; it is both calm and capacious, enduring and savory. This gets a big yes from me.
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James Suckling
Lots of candied lemon peel and some fresh lime zest on the nose, making a strikingly fresh first impression. This is a very concentrated chardonnay that's as sleek and energetic as a thoroughbred race horse, as it gallops across the palate! Stunning finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
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Vinous
The 2013 Chardonnay Coddington has real power, richness and fullness. It's a creamy, concentrated, plush style with a fine, tangy line that courses through the vines. The 2013 offers a bright, sweet and sour finish, in a good way. Smoky, toasty and clove notes (from the Gillet barrels) linger on the fragrant finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This shows a touch less oak than the Maté's Vineyard, with more emphasis on pineapple and citrus. It's medium-bodied, with a slightly custardy texture, and turns tangy and crisp on the finish. Drink now–2020.
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Wine & Spirits
Michael Brajkovich, MW, ferments this wine in barrel without adding yeast, producing an apple- and pear-scented chardonnay with pale, leesy richness. It’s firm, effortlessly incorporating fresh acidity into the body of the wine, with a taut structure and good primary material for aging.
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Wine Spectator
The fleshy peach and mango flavors are ripe and clean, with a tight, juicy and crisp citrus edge, highlighted by cedar and mineral grace notes on the long finish. Drink now through 2022.
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.