| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | New Zealand > Auckland |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
Aromas of sliced apples and pears with some pie crust and croissant undertones. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and a long and tangy finish. Reserved and poised. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
The 2024 Estate Chardonnay is floral and tightly coiled, with a scratched lime backbone. It's not as complex as the Ray's Road tasted alongside, yet it's utterly composed and restrained. It is mineral and very good indeed. This was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling.
Sparkling bright colour in the glass with pristine lemon, white peach and juicy pear fruit forming the fruit core on the nose, this year's Estate is another brilliant wine, open-knit and showing just enough creamy spice to add intrigue at this early stage. The palate has the glossy fruit and texture we have come to expect, but it is bristling with energy and a touch of smoky spice. Silky, solar and bursting with fruit to the finish, this is a long, fine and intense Estate Chardonnay, oozing Kumeu's style and quality.
Full screwcapped bottle 1,318 g. Hand-harvested, whole-bunch pressed before 100% spontaneous barrel ferment in French oak with 100% malo (20% new oak). 11 months' ageing in barrel. Always a blend of the same six Kumeu vineyards (of which they own three) and in 2024 the crop was reduced but fruit was much more concentrated. No new oak in 2023 so they had lots of (François Frères) barrels to use. It's a struggle to keep vines in the ground in Kumeu. They think they're OK for the next 20 years so long as the owners, mainly Chinese, will agree to lease the land. Average age of vines would be more than 20 years.
High-toned nose then rich lemon-barley-water flavours. And real grip on the end. No hurry to drink this. Lots of concentration and masses of potential. Still youthful! Lots to chew on. Worth waiting until at least 2026 before drinking but it's already approachable. Drink 2025-2035.
A blend of six vineyards, this already displays charming aromas of yellow-skin apple, nectarine and nashi pear. Firm acidity and a very light textural grip. There’s a degree of flesh on the palate but not too much. Drink from 2025-2032. Tasted Aug 2025.
100% barrel fermentation, 20% new French oak, 11 months maturation in barrel; 13.5% alc.
This year’s Estate offering is all about precision. Combining six vineyards in perfect harmony and embracing a full spectrum of Chardonnay’s flavour palette from citrus to peach, this is a more precocious and much more expressive wine than expected. It is one of the finest Kumeu River Estate wines I can recall, and it is virtually ready to drink now!
