Winemaker Notes
The perfect condition of the grapes and the lovely ripe nature of the vintage meant that this wine saw a little more new oak than usual (25%). The wine from this spectacular vintage is ripe, floral and delicious. The beautiful peach and hazelnut aromas along with the rich silky texture are distinct characteristics of this wine even at this young stage. This is undoubtedly one of the best examples the winery has seen of this wine. It is sheer pleasure to taste and drink and will benefit even further from two to four years in bottle.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Toasted grain and white peach mark the nose of the 2006 Estate Chardonnay. Hints of buttered toast creep in, but this is still remarkably fresh. Ripe and peachy and fleshy-textured on the medium to full-bodied palate, this is simply delicious, with at least several good years ahead of it.
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Wine Spectator
Generous cedary oak folds gracefully into apricot, peach and lemony pastry cream flavors. Citrusy acidity keeps this fresh with mineral, stone and floral tones accenting the lingering finish. Drink now through 2010.
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.