Winemaker Notes
The 2017 vintage was cool and windy and the hallmark of the Chardonnays is fragrance. This is particularly present in Hunting Hill with its typical lemon/lime blossom aromas on the nose. Hunting Hill was harvested before any weather episodes of 2017 and the fruit was clean with beautiful flavors. This has come through in the finished wine with a supple texture and lingering finish. As with previous vintages of Hunting Hill we expect this to drink well for 6 – 8 years. Drink with Seafood, Pasta, Chicken and Risotto.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is so good. This is complex and composed, ultra sleek and restrained, long and undulating. This feels like it moves like the surface of a still lake, in ripples and eddies rather than the crashing, powerful waves of Maté's.
-
James Suckling
Very floral and quite toasty in the nose, this is already very attractive, in spite of its youth. Sleek yet polished with stunning concentration and vibrant acidity driving the very long, tight finish. Drink or hold.
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.