Description
Kumeu River, northwest of Auckland is without a doubt NZ’s finest chardonnay producer. Master of Wine and Winemaker Michael Brajkovich has been crafting fine chardonnay at the estate since the 1980’s. Handpicked fruit and vigorous selection from the low yielding vines, whole bunch pressed, wild yeasts, a third of the fruit fermented in French oak barriques and full malolactic fermentation to soften the pristine acidity and add texture and dimension. Not surprising Michael is not shy in comparing his Chardonnays with the great White Burgundies like Domaine Leflaive!
“If you can taste history, duty and family pride in a glass, it’s there in the Kumeu River Chardonnays … some of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays, not to mention the world’s.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, The Wine Advocate
“If these aren’t the best chardonnays in New Zealand (and some of the best in the world), I’d like to see what could roll them.” Huon Hooke, SMH, Oct 2012
The 2015 releases of the single estate Kumeu River chardonnays were released with great fanfare thanks to the much hyped vintage which produced low yields and wines of remarkable depth and intensity. Also in the latest edition of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW reviewed 78 newly released 2015 whites. Three of the Kumeu River wines placed in the top ten, with the Hunting Hill and Matés placing first and second respectively, and Coddington ninth. In fact with 95 points, Hunting Hill was the joint highest scoring wine out of all 312 whites and reds that she tasted – an incredible achievement!
These wines have already sold out in New Zealand and Australia has received a miniscule allocation – a mere 20 dozen for the entire country! The Vine Press has been extremely lucky to have secured a limited number of cases of each of these single vineyard wines.
From the winemaker, Michael Brajkovich MW. “Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive, mealy minerality.
This wine has fragrant lemon/lime blossom aromas on the nose that typify the lovely perfume we always get from Hunting Hill. The 2015 vintage was affected by a spring frost and the subsequent yields were lower than usual. The summer was terrific and the grapes were beautifully clean, ripe and intensely flavoured. This has created a wine of intense concentration and complexity that will be very long lived.”
95 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate # 228 “The 2015 Hunting Hill Chardonnay displays a youthful restraint, yet nonetheless delivers an exciting array of stone fruit, pink grapefruit, ginger and marzipan notes with subtle hints of orange blossoms, crushed stones and lightly buttered toast. Medium bodied and tightly woven, is has a lively backbone supportting [sic] the generous flavor layers, finishing with great length and depth. As usual – just gorgeous!”
96 points, Bob Campbell “Crisp, high energy Chardonnay with citrus, lemon, wet stone mineral, cashew nut, bran biscuit and spicy oak. 25% new oak – deliberately less toasty. Gives a nod in the direction Burgundy. Fresh and lingering finish. Very pure wine with subtle power. Tasted 1/3/2016″
RRP $75
