Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2012

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.  Hand picked fruit and vigorous selection from the low yielding vines, whole bunch pressed, wild yeasts, 100%  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 Domain Leflaive!

From the winemaker “Kumeu River Chardonnay is drawn from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region. We are particularly careful in selecting only the very best grapes from these vineyards for our Kumeu River Estate label.

At a blind tasting in London  (May 2015) of the most highly esteemed White Burgundies with a panel of experts (included leading wine writers Jancis Robinson and Neal Martin of eRobertParker.com) the Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2012 was the hightest rated wine against Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet and Anne-Claude Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet .. wines vastly more expensive!  As Jancis reported ..  “won hands down, costing a fraction of the wines they trounced” and added that “the Kumeu wines shone because they were better made and more sophisticated….fresh as a daisy and clearly a glorious future ahead”.

Other comments from the tasting …. Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate .. “Kumeu River’s Chardonnays … some of the best in the world … a world-class estate producing world-class wines.”    Mathew Jukes “…crushed the Old World stars with ease!  You must find a space for these wines in your cellar …these are incredible wines. One sip is all that is needed to add Kumeu to your list of greats.”

Only the best parcels of fruit from six different vineyard sites go into the Estate Label.   This vintage is ripe, rich, and beautifully concentrated.  Lifted white peach, lemon peel and hazelnut aromas along with a bright, taut, silky texture and a distinctly flinty core. Concentration, power, complexity and finesse in this extraordinary chardonnay.  If you are a chardonnay or White Burgundy lover you must snare a case of this while you can.

93 points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front .. “Such complex and tasty wines from Kumeu River.  Spicy, struck match, lemon peel, white peach, gentle cedar oak. Tight, bright but flavoursome with a flinty texture, stone fruit and citrus, fine flinty feel and shapely acidity. Pulls dry and long on the finish. Almonds in there too. Delicious.”

Huon Hooke, SMH … “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”   On this current vintage … “Serious chardonnay with persistence and panache.  93 points, July 2015”

Harvey Steiman, The Wine Spectator … “Kumeu makes the best, most long lived Chardonnays in New Zealand”
RRP $48