Great value, Burgundy-beating Chardonnay
'These wines really should be on the radar of any value-conscious white Burgundy lover' - Jancis Robinson
Kumeu River continues to be a world-beater when it comes to top quality, value for money Chardonnay. Year in, year out they make wines that are precise, elegant and fresh. Using native yeasts and extended lees ageing, the Brajkovich's take a rather restrained, Burgundian approach to winemaking and the results are a far cry from the big, bold, buttery Chardonnay we've generally come to expect from the New World. Over the years Kumeu has come to occupy an important and very special place in the Uncorked range; they are wines we drink and recommend to customers throughout the year for their exceptional quality and value.
2018 brought with it a number of challenges for the Kumeu team. As in 2017, the area was hit with a tropical storm, but unlike 2017 this was followed by a few weeks of dry weather directly before harvest. The result is low yields (a manual harvest and rigorous selection of grapes were crucial) but the fruit that was brought in was in excellent condition. The 2018 vintage is comparatively lighter in style and no new oak was used in order to preserve the natural aromas and allow the distinctive single vineyard characteristics to shine through.
When we tasted through the wines with Paul Brajkovich recently, the 2018 Hunting Hill displayed its characteristic lime blossom fragrance with a subtle underlying richness. Coddington was richer still and suggested ripe apricot while Maté's Vineyard showed off its distinctive intensity and fruitiness reminiscent of the Golden Queen peaches grown around New Zealand, all rounded off with a more mineral edge. /RRS
Offered subject to remaining unsold; 2018s available Summer 2020; other stock available now online and in the shop
