Winemaker Notes
Kumeu River Chardonnay is drawn from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region.
The 2021 vintage is particularly concentrated with very citrus, preserved lemon aromas and a dense layered palate with lingering complexity. This is a quality Chardonnay wine of style and pedigree that is delicious now but has the capability of aging as well as any of its predecessors.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
One of the best bargains around, from New Zealand’s leading Chardonnay producer, this is restrained, creamy and downright delicious. Vibrant aromas of lemon peel, melon, toast and flint lead to a supple, slinky, elegant palate of tingly citrus acidity and supportive oak. Ultra food-friendly, this could also cellar for eight to ten years.
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James Suckling
Lemons, white apricots, white grapefruit, slate and sea shells. Elegant and mineral, with a medium body and creamy, textured and layered palate. Classy and fresh. Drink now.
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Vinous
The 2021 Chardonnay Estate is an open, flowing white. It has a rich fragrance speaking of its time in the cellar - oak-derived nutty notes and vanilla meet sweet pastry characters often found when wines are left on their lees. The lightly cooked apple fruit in this young wine sits underneath. Gentle acidity leaves a tender rather than taut finish.
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.