Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2017
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 vintage was cool and windy with some weather episodes during harvest. This made hand harvesting crucial in maintaining the standard of the Estate Chardonnay that we have set for this wine. The nose is immediately fragrant, a hallmark of 2017, with a touch of citrus and peach. The texture supple and with a beautiful bracing acidity on the finish. The wine is delicious now and will provide beautiful drinking over the next 6 years.
Drink with seafood, chicken, pasta and risotto.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This emanates a sense of vibrant fruit from the outset with white-nectarine and light mango aromas, laced with yellow-grapefruit and stony, savory nuances. The palate has plenty of flavor in the yellow-peach spectrum. Fleshy, fresh and juicy right the way through.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
All barrel-fermented, with 20% new oak, the 2017 Estate Chardonnay is a stellar effort. Smoky, nutty hints of roasted cashews appear on the nose, adding depth and richness to notes of peach and pineapple. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's richly textured—something of a cross between creamy and sherbet-like—coming to a long, luscious finish. I don't expect it will be the longest-lived wine, but it sure is delicious.
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Wine Spectator
Mouthwatering lime, pear and green apple flavors are appealing for their focus and intensity. Mandarin orange notes and a dash of mango increase the fruit focus on the finish.
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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.