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Kumeu River 'Hunting Hill' Chardonnay 2023
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- TASTING NOTE: "There is no new oak on any of the 2023s (with the exception of Rays Road) but a portion was aged in one- and two-year-old barrels. Lemon drops and crisp red apple. A subtle silken creamy texture, with the signature edge of flint (but not of the volume seen in the previous vintages). Impressive and elegant." 94 Points - Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
- ABOUT THE WINE: Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive, mealy minerality.
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ABOUT THE PRODUCER: The Brajkovich family (Mick, Kate and son Mate) settled in New Zealand in 1937 and in 1944 purchased a Kumeu property (north of Auckland) with a small vineyard which became known as San Marino Vineyards. Mick passed away in 1949, but Kate and Mate continued to work the land and produce wine to sell. Mate met his wife Melba in the late 50's and in the 1960's they welcomed children Michael, Marijana, Milan, and Paul. For the children, being brought up around the winery established a strong foundation of industry knowledge and skill that would take the winery to a new level of success in the years to come. Although the winery and Maté were steadily gaining a reputation within the industry, it was the late 1970s and early 1980s that saw a marked evolution in the style and direction of the winery. In 1979, the winery moved away from the hybrids used for the production of fortified and basic red and white wines to varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. All popular and commonly known varieties today, these wines were relatively unheard of at that stage, posing a bold and somewhat risky move for the winery. During the 1980s, Michael, Milan, and Paul became more involved in the business and the winery took on a new focus: quality and reputation. The winery changed its name to Kumeu River Wines and began producing a Burgundy-influenced style of Chardonnay that featured indigenous yeasts, extended lees ageing, and malo-lactic fermentation. In the years since, the Chardonnays of Kumeu River have steadily gained international awards and accolades. In 2014 Kumeu River's London based distributer Stephen Browett and his company Farr Vintners organize a blind tasting with the best palates, critics and wine writers in the world. Kumeu's Maté's, Coddington, Hunting Hill and Estate Chardonnays are placed against a range of Premier Cru and Village Burgundies from the best producers. Kumeu triumphed over top white Burgundies in every flight apart from one, where it came first equal.
- COUNTRY: New Zealand
- REGION: Hawkes Bay
- VARIETAL: Chardonnay
- WINE STYLE: White Wine
- WINEMAKER: Michael Brajkovich
- CLASSIFICATION: Sustainable Farming
- CLOSURE: Screwcap
- ABV%: 12.8%
- SIZE: 750ml
