Kumeu River

New Zealand may be conventionally known for Sauvignon Blanc, but it`s Chardonnay where the critical acclaim is really at just now - nowhere more so than with the brilliant Kumeu River. Founded in 1944, Kumeu River can lay claim to be one of the progenitor estates of the New Zealand wine industry. Over the years, they have experimented with a range of grape varieties, but it is always Chardonnay (and a cool, crisp, fruit-driven Pinot Noir) that has done best in their clay-on-sandstone soils. They vinify with natural yeasts, long-lees ageing, and oak only with a discreet touch. The result is a range of single vineyard Chardonnays of exceptional character and definition. (NT 05/08/19)