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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.7 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 57 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by mjgkng on 3/29/2024 & rated 91 points: Rich and textured. Pear and citrus. Well cellared and delicious. (1462 views) | | | Tasted by pemazel on 1/4/2024 & rated 91 points: I can see why people like this chardonnay: it is restricted, the opposite from fat, refined, everything is true. And at € 50 is is not overly expensive. But I do not think it is an 'hors categorie' as James Suckling did. It is nice, but I think it lacks minerality, tension, personality, etc. Maybe these qualities come in later, but for now 91 points is enough (2182 views) | | | Tasted by spendergast on 12/23/2023 & rated 94 points: Notes of green apple, citrus with good acidity and long finish. Still youthful. (1803 views) | | | Tasted by danchaq on 12/23/2023 & rated 91 points: Yeah it's good. Textured, persistent, creamy lemon. The reputation says it has more to give in time. At th moment though it feels less of a wine than the 2016. Expensive. (1715 views) | | | Tasted by mjgkng on 12/2/2023 & rated 93 points: Excellent vintage. Complex yet restrained. Pear and citrus. Long finish. (2050 views) | | | Tasted by Alexander Smith on 9/23/2023 & rated 95 points: This is way better than it should be for the price, JS called this his No.1 wine a few years ago and honestly pretty impressive, a blend of Burgundy/Sonoma, aroma of white truffle, white mushrooms, fennel, peach, nectarine and white pepper. The palate is bright and textured with notes of stone fruit, crushed stones, pie crust, baking spices and fennel, the mid palate is racy yet persistence leading to a long and succulent finish (2365 views) | | | Tasted by prasm on 8/25/2023 & rated 94 points: Consumed over two days, stored in Somm du Vin, note from day 2. Appearance: Clear, medium lemon. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with aromas of red apple, pineapple, and mango with hints of licorice and butter. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ intensity, medium body, 14.0% abv with flavors of pineapple, mango, salinity, and minerals with a long finish.
Balance: Excellent
Length: Outstanding
Intensity: Excellent
Complexity: Excellent
Overall an exceptional wine excelling in all areas, especially length. Noticeably better on day two, meaning this is likely going to continue to improve for at least 2-3 years and drink well for 5+ thereafter. (2125 views) | | | Tasted by mjgkng on 8/20/2023 & rated 92 points: Pear and citrus. Lovely texture. (2409 views) | | | Tasted by Sun_Ship on 6/16/2023 & rated 94 points: From 375ml. Beautifully floral nose of small white flowers, peaches and cream, with a buttery, smooth mouthfeel and effervescent saline notes emerging, finishing long. Definitely richer and more advanced than the previous bottle. Reminiscent of a decent premier cru Puligny-Montrachet with a few years. (2679 views) | | | Tasted by Wadham Cellar on 5/9/2023 & rated 93 points: Young but magnificent. Saline, emerging brioche, toast, tightly wound, mineral core with superb acidity. Will improve and then age for many years. (2902 views) | | | Tasted by VAGenius on 4/14/2023 & rated 93 points: No detailed notes, but it was a polished, vibrant wine that disappeared quickly from our glasses. (2585 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 3/26/2023 & rated 92 points: Green apple, citrus and stone fruit. Fine acidity, spice and salt notes. A really well done wine with balance and linear precision. (2701 views) | | | Tasted by Costes76 on 2/13/2023 & rated 94 points: Light yellow color. Developing nose of butter, cream, soft oak, ripe yellow apple, ripe yellow peach. Dry, rounded acidity, palate follows through (mid length). Medium body, fantastic balance, medium finish. (3007 views) | | | Tasted by Sun_Ship on 2/3/2023 & rated 94 points: Lovely nose of crisp stone fruit showing peaches and nectarine, white blossom, restrained butter and a hint of menthol. This has the Kumeu trademark, combining richness of fruit, precision and well-judged oak with a very fine, persistent weight. A touch richer and less elegant than the 2020, but very fine. (2584 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 10/26/2022 & rated 91 points: Nose is quite rich - lots of vanilla oak, sesame. Ripe peachy fruit, comes together well on the palate, which is medium/full bodied, quite weighty with stone fruits, spice, vanilla, then lovely vibrant acidity carries a very good length finish. Needs time but should be excellent. (2973 views) | | | Tasted by SimonG on 10/26/2022 & rated 91 points: Lunch at La Trompette (Medlar, London): A faint touch of creamy hazelnut. Crisp. Lovely line, lots of zip here. Opens up to show a real florality, freshly cut freesias. Really opens and broadens with air and as it warms in the glass. Almost too broad by the finish. **** (3056 views) | | | Tasted by BilboBaggins on 9/23/2022 & rated 92 points: Very nice. Quite ripe with considerable richness, butter etc. Very open with nice orchard fruit.
Tasted blind. Kumeu has fooled me before, where I have thought we were in burgundy. This time around I thought we were in the US, as this was quite rich and buttery.
Served in Zalto Burgundy. (2821 views) | | | Tasted by prasm on 9/19/2022 & rated 93 points: PnP, consumed over 2 hours. Appearance: Clear, medium lemon. Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity with developing aromas of citrus - lemon meringue, lemon zest; stone fruit - pear; and hints of tropical fruit - mango; with notes of saline and licorice - wonderfully complex! Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ intensity, medium+ body with a slightly creamy mouth-feel, 14.0% abv and flavors of pear, melon rind, and lemon meringue with a long finish.
Overall a wow wine solid in every aspect - balance, length, intensity, and complexity. This is drinking wonderfully upon opening but has the stuffing to improve over the next 2-3 years and drink great for 5 years after that. (2871 views) | | | Tasted by Quinn05 on 7/17/2022 & rated 94 points: Chardonnay Tasting: Very rich and concentrated. Brioche, citrus, grapefruit, peach. Creamy, but not too creamy, very balanced. Immense potential, give this wine at least 3 more years, or plenty of air if drinking now. (2731 views) | | | Tasted by Psstoli on 7/9/2022: Drinking amazingly well. Butter and wood. Lovely. (2988 views) | | | Tasted by spendergast on 6/23/2022 & rated 94 points: A really nice chard with notes of green apple, citrus, minerals - excellent balance and acidity. (2848 views) | | | Tasted by fashionking on 4/27/2022 & rated 90 points: Very good thats all (3077 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier94 on 4/24/2022 & rated 93 points: Delicious nose of lemon custard, apple cobbler-type notes with creme brûlées and smoky flinted quality that would lead one to say Puligny-Montrachet! A bit of hazelnut complexity comes out on the nose and the palate with a bit of air time. This is seriously impressive; rich and powerful with distinctive minerality in its own way! 93+ (2874 views) | | | Tasted by jmoore431 on 4/23/2022 & rated 93 points: Medium straw color; this is quite austere with the laser beam acidity and crushed stone (even on the nose); oak is present but dissipates in short order; tart apple, lemon drop, whiffs of smoke and minerality; gains complexity as it warms and airs out. Really good! 93+ (2787 views) | | | Tasted by WineKnurd on 4/2/2022 & rated 92 points: Taking notes as I go. Splash decant. Crisp minerals and saline, seashells at the beach. Melon and minerals, peaches and citrus zest. Opens up with more yellow peach, hints of tangerine, some tropicals, and notes of butterscotch (MLF). Oscillates with sharp acidity and rounder edges as you drink through the bottle; each glass will tease out differences in texture and flavor profile. Higher end Chardonnay and it delivers. A- (92). (2669 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (11/2/2020)
(Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Mate's Vineyard, White, New Zealand) Subscribe to see review text. | By Rebecca Gibb MW
Vinous, New Zealand Whites: The State of Play (Nov 2020) (11/1/2020)
(Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (8/30/2020)
(Kumeu River, Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay Kumeu White) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Kumeu River Producer website
U.S. Importer (source of add'l info)
At Kumeu River wines, our winemaking philosophy can be summarised in a single word. Quality. From the vines to the wineglass, every drop of Kumeu River wine is a blend of tradition, innovation, and dedication to both the science and the art and of winemaking.
Kumeu River's Chardonnays are our most recognised wine and have received international accolades and awards. We have invested heavily in the development of our Chardonnays over the past three decades, and it is very rewarding to see them continue to gain recognition and respect from highly regarded wine judges and reviewers.
An important part of the winemaking process of our best Chardonnays is barrel fermentation in a blend of new and old French oak barrels. This process draws out the flavour nuances that are so crucial to these fine wine styles. Only indigenous wild yeasts are used to further enhance the texture and complexity and this is also the case with our tank fermented Chardonnays and Pinot Gris.
2019 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's VineyardKumeu River winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW has hailed 2019 as “An exceptional vintage of unsurpassed quality”. Given the general conservative nature of the team when discussing their wines, this is high praise indeed. Chardonnay from Kumeu River, and specifically their single vineyard offerings, are some of the finest expressions not only from New Zealand, but from anywhere in the world. The wines are known for incredibly high levels of complexity and intensity, with stunning layers of aromas and flavours.
Mate’s Vineyard is always the last site we pick each year. In 2019 the grapes certainly had the distinctive Mendoza millerandage, giving many small berries along with the normal sized ones, and as a result a wonderfully concentrated palate texture and fruit richness. Although still somewhat shy on the nose coming out of the barrel, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.
Hand harvested Whole-bunch pressed Indigenous yeast fermentation 100% barrel fermentation 100% malo-lactic fermentation 11 months maturation in barrelKumeu River Chardonnay Maté's VineyardA 2.6ha vineyard planted with Mendoza clone in 1990 with its first vintage being 1993. Soils are classic clay based and are more pliable. Virused vineyards that ripen slightly later than the others. Often affected by hen and chicken berries leading to quite heavy pressing and more phenolics.
In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River.
Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeNew Zealand New Zealand Wine (New Zealand Winegrowers)North IslandHaving a cool factor is a great start.
When they were creating climate classifications for wine regions around the world, we weren’t exactly complaining that New Zealand’s was called ‘cool.’ Step out in the middle of the day on a classic Marlborough or Hawke’s Bay’s summer, and you may wonder if they got it right. The brightness is beautifully intense, and sunshine plentiful.
But stay about a little. Until nightfall. The shift from day to night isn’t just defined by light, but temperature too. It chills quickly. The South Pacific Ocean taking its deep breath over our two islands. For the grapes, this makes for more than a chilly night. Ripening is gradual, almost methodical. As each day edges the grape towards ripeness, each night captures its flavour.
This pattern creates one of the longest grape growing seasons on earth – and those unmistakable, remarkable zesty flavours, and fragrance that are the hallmark of our wines.

Sometimes the world really is your oyster.
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