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2008 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay in Wine Spectator Top 100

This is the 7th occasion Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay has made the Top 100

We are very pleased to announce that the 2008 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay has been named in Wine Spectator Top 100 wines in 2011.

This years list was selected from more than 16,000 new releases rated in Wine Spectator independent blind tastings. The list is based on four criteria: quality (represented by score); value (reflected by release price); availability (measured by cases made or imported); and what Wine Spectator call the “X-factor”–the excitement generated by a rising-star producer, a benchmark wine or a significant milestone for a wine region. But no equation determines the final selections: These choices reflect the editors’ judgment and passion about the wines tasted.

Every year since 1988, Wine Spectator has compiled a list of the most exciting wines reviewed over the past 12 months. These 100 wines reflect significant trends, recognize outstanding producers and spotlight successful regions and vintages around the world. Kumeu River has been part of the Top 100 on seven occasions

To put this in another perspective, of the entries into the recent Air New Zealand Wine Awards only 5% of the entries received gold medals which makes this a tough wine show. With the number of wines Wine Spectator reviewed from around the world in the course of the year less than 1% of the wines make the top 100 .

# 76   2008 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 92 points

A benchmark for New Zealand Chardonnay, Kumeu River is located in the Kumeu region whose cool Pacific-influenced climate is remarkably consistent each year. This Estate Chardonnay from choice parcels on the 99 acres Kumeu owns or maintains was fermented and aged 11 months in barrel. As owner-winemaker Michael Brajkovich has done with all his wines since 2001 this wine is sealed with a screw cap.

Kumeu River in Metro 100 Wines for Summer

Kumeu River gets four wines in Metro's Top 100

As well as the international accolades we are also very pleased to have four wines in the Metro magazine 100 wines for summer. Through their tasting panel, Metro conducted a blind tasting of several hundred wines in order to identify 100 top wines for every summer occasion. In the Metro 100 wines is: 2009 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay, 2009 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay,

 2009 Kumeu River Pinot Gris and 2009 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay. The Mate’s Vineyard was considered the best white wine overall and the Village Chardonnay in the top 10 best values. It is very pleasing to get accolades for wines that are reasonably available.

2009 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay

Exotic fruit characters mingle with spicy oak and savoury secondary characters. A big, powerful wines, concentrated and deep, yet with great structure and a fine elegant finish. A special wine for enjoying at Christmas dinner and with well-chosen friends.

   2009 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay

Very pale in colour, with a smoky, minerally nose, in the mouth it is full and multi-layered, yet with a tight, linear structure. Altogether a very complex and stylish wine for that special occasion.

   2009 KR Village Chardonnay

A really good example of mid-weight Chardonnay. With no one feature dominating, but instead all the elements working in harmony. There is a hint of creamy malo, and some toasty oak, but also a nice balance between sweet fruit and savoury secondary characters. Great value.

   2009 Kumeu River Pinot Gris

Baked apple and honey aromas, with an interesting savoury-cum-earthy undertone. A fuller-bodied example of Pinot Gris, with a touch of creamy oak. Just off dry, a generous and supple style to enjoy alongside food.






Outstanding Reviews from The Wine Advocate #197

Kumeu River Chardonnays shine in NZ report by Lisa Perrotti Brown MW

The latest issue of Robert Parkers Wine Advocate, #197, includes an extensive report on New Zealand wine by Lisa Perrotti Brown MW. Each issue of this publication is eagerly awaited by wine lovers all over the world and we are delighted that the wines from Kumeu River have received such high praise. Two of our Chardonnays: Mate's Vineyard and Hunting Hill were the highest scoring white wines in Lisa’s report and in the top 5 wines out of 892 wines tasted overall. Below are the reviews of the Kumeu River wines that Lisa tasted. The full report is available to subscribers on www.eRobertParker.com



2009 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay  94+ points


The 2009 Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay has a beautifully expressive and complex nose already, with notes of ripe apples, white peaches, butterscotch and pineapple over savory undertones of croissant, crushed nuts and yeast extract plus a whiff of struck match and wet pebbles. Medium bodied with a beautiful satiny quality to the texture, the fruit remains a bit tight though very concentrated with crisp acid to enliven and a long layered finish. Consider drinking it 2013 to 2019+.


2009 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay       94 points


The 2009 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is a little youthfully mute, giving delicate lime zest, chalk dust and pink grapefruit aromas over toasted almonds, meal and buttered scones. The palate has an elegant medium body yet packs in wonderfully concentrated toast, meal and citrus flavors with racy acidity, a satiny texture and a very long finish. I love it now, though it will benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle, drinking best 2013 to 2019+.

2009 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonna     92+ points


The 2009 Coddington Chardonnay displays expressive notes of pineapple, pink guava, peach kernels and warmed pear slices with hints of cashews, marmite on toast and oyster shells. Medium bodied and with a pleasant touch of viscosity, it gives great concentration, lively acidity and a long savory finish. Approachable now, it should drink to 2017+.

2009 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay         91 points

 

The 2009 Estate Chardonnay gives intense notes of ripe apricots, guava, green mango and honey coated nuts with nuances of lightly browned toast and white blossoms. Medium bodied with a silken texture, it gives great concentration, crisp acidity and a long toasty finish. Drinking now, it should cellar to 2016+.


2009 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay       88points


The 2009 Village Chardonnay gives delicate aromas of fresh peaches, baking bread and orange blossom with a hint of crushed stones. Medium bodied with a good amount of ripe apple and yeasty flavors, it has refreshing acidity, a gentle creaminess to the texture and a long finish. Drink it now through 2014

2010 Kumeu River Pinot Gris           88 points


Kumeu River’s 2010 Pinot Gris gives delicate peach and pear aromas with hints of apple blossom and baking bread. A dry, medium bodied style in the mouth, it has a pleasant satiny texture and a long apple tart laced finish. Drink it now to 2014

2009 Single Vineyard Chardonnays Released

The fragrant and delicious Chardonnays from 2009 are now available



September sees the release of our single vineyard Chardonnays from the 2009 vintage and we are thrilled with their quality. 

Following the very ripe and luscious vintage of 2008, the 2009 vintage in Kumeu produced wines that are a little more restrained, but still with good concentration and racy acidity on the finish. The Chardonnays are beautifully fragrant and elegant and quite similar to those from the 2004 vintage.

In their youth the 2004 wines were quite tight and retrained and have now blossomed into delicious silky wines with great length.

The terroir differences between the various Chardonnay cuvées this year seem even more pronounced than ever, with the typical vineyard characters of Estate, Coddington, Hunting Hill and Mate’s Vineyard really shining through.

This vintage seems to be particularly favorable to Hunting Hill with its subtle floral aromas and very precise mineral texture. 

The 2009 Coddington Chardonnay does not have the voluptuous richness of the 2008 wine but still shows the distinctly peachy aromas and lovely mealy undertones that we consistently expect from this vineyard.

The 2009 Estate Chardonnay is very reminiscent of the 2004 with its close to perfect balance on the palate and length of rich fruity flavour. It will certainly be a long-lived wine for the cellar.

Every year we seem to say the Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay is the best yet, and the 2009 wine is no exception. It truly is magnificent in its depth and complexity, and will perhaps only be superseded by the release of the 2010 wine next year!

Over that’s past couple of weeks we have held some tastings of these wines and older Kumeu River Chardonnays with the press and members of the trade. We served them along side some very smart white burgundies from Vincent Dauvissat, Coche Dury and Domaine Leflaive. We are pleased to report that the Kumeu River wines more than held their own among some very salubrious company and indicated that our wines are achieving the balance, texture and sheer drinking delight that we strive for.

Kumeu River In Top 100

Kumeu River in Wine Spectator Top 100… again!

Iconic New Zealand Chardonnay producers Kumeu River Wines have once again come up with the goods, this time with their 2007 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay. In their annual "Top 100" list of wines from around the world the Wine Spectator Magazine has ranked the Kumeu River Chardonnay at Number 41 with a score of 92 points, and a price of US$35.00 per bottle. This is the seventh time that Kumeu River has featured in the Top 100, highlighting a consistency of both quality and value derived from decades of experience and increasing skill with what is surely the King of white wine varieties.

The Estate Chardonnay is a blend of six vineyards in the Kumeu region, the same six vineyards each year, giving this wine great complexity and consistency of character. It is produced exclusively in Burgundy-style small oak barrels, of which 20% are new. The Estate Chardonnay typically combines citrus zest with beautiful peach and hazelnut aromas, along with a rich silky texture and crisp mineral finish.

Kumeu River actually produces five Chardonnay wines, starting with the Village wine which is produced from several local vineyards. It is fermented in a combination of steel tanks and old oak barrels to minimise the influence of oak and presents a lively, crisp and fruity expression of Chardonnay.

There are also three single vineyard wines which highlight the influence of their individual sites, or "terroirs". The Coddington, Hunting Hill and Mate's Vineyard Chardonnays are very individual and distinctive styles, and represent the epitome of the Kumeu River style of Chardonnay.

Kumeu River was among the pioneers of barrel fermentation of Chardonnay in New Zealand, and also a ground-breaking exponent in the use of wild yeast and malo-lactic fermentation. In the making of Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay these traditional techniques have been adapted and honed over 25 years experience to harmonise with the natural attributes of grape variety and vineyard site, to produce a wine style of outstanding quality and balance, and with a very strong sense of place.

Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay has also proven its ability to age gracefully in the bottle. In a recent vertical tasting of this wine in Boston going back to the 2002 vintage those present were very impressed with the ongoing development of bottle bouquet and the building of texture and complexity on the palate that occurs with these wines over a period of 4-6 years, giving more than ample rewards to those of us with patience.