2022 KUMEU RIVER Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard, Lea & Sandeman

KUMEU RIVER

2022 Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard

IN STOCK
Grapes Chardonnay
Colour White
Origin New Zealand, North Island
ABV 13.5%
Vineyard Mate's Vineyard

Impressive, with density and concentration to the notes of marmalade, limoncello and white flowers. The core of Meyer lemon and apricot pastry shows hints of salted butterscotch and smoky litsea oil that linger on the long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2036. —M.W. Rating: 95 MaryAnn Worobiec, The Wine Spectator (Jul 2024)

*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.

Gorgeous precise aromas of apples, white peaches, some minerals, flint and stone. Subtle mangoes, too. Full-bodied but so intense and driven with a salty undertone and a driving finish. Some white pepper at the end with citrus skin. Focused and intense. Great finish. Better after 2026 but already fantastic. Drink or hold. Screw cap. No. 3 in JamesSuckling.com's Top 100 Wines of New Zealand 2023. Rating: 98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Nov 2023)

This vineyard, planted in 1990, has just produced its 30th vintage. There is leafroll on the all-Mendoza clone for the moment but the hen-and-chicken size of berries adds concentration and a tad of astringency. This is a more sheltered site than the others so the grapes are riper and the new oak proportion is up to 30%. They want to keep the vineyard going despite the virus. Pale straw. The richest of the line-up. But still very transparent and lively. Chewy finish. A wine in line with late 20th-century ideal of Chardonnay while Hunting Hill is closer to what is sought in the early 21st century. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 17+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Sept 2023)

In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River. We experienced a spring frost in October2020 and this reduced the yield across all out vineyards. The rest of the growing season was excellent and the grapes harvested in in 2021 were ripe, rich and concentrated.

VINIFICATION Hand harvested Whole-bunch pressed Indigenousyeast fermentation 100% barrel fermentation 100% malo-lactic fermentation 11 months maturation in barrel

Kumeu's Tasting Notes

Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 shows the density, concertation and length that we expect from a terrific Mate’s Vineyard vintage Although still somewhat shy on the nose, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.
Winemaker's notes (Sept 2023)

Kumeu River

From the pioneering days to the establishment of the New Zealand wine industry to today, the Brajkovich family have been internationally recognised as producing world class wine. The Brajkovich family continue to harvest their grapes at Kumeu and refine their wine making skills.

The Brajkovichs are nationally recognised as a founding family of the New Zealand wine industry, and the current generation are internationally recognised as producing world class Chardonnay.

Just as the Brajkovich family has grown, so too has the winery itself. Extensions and additions mark the milestones that have seen business adapt and expand over the years. Today, the winery produces around 250,000 bottles annually from 30 hectares of its own vineyards in Kumeu, and another 10 hectares from local growers.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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