Pale yellow. Incredibly fresh and young-tasting, how one earth can this be 12 years old, strongly reductive that lessens but never vanishes. There is a element of warm candle wax on the nose, and a slight saline spritz to go alongside the white apple flesh and racy citrus. Really grows in the glass, very elegant.
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France vs ROW (Home): So young for a 12 year old wine- the closure must have something to do with it. It's compact, with rich hazelnut, mandarin, vanilla and lemon and just a touch of reduction. It's similar in character on the palate - good ripe fruit concentration but you get the sense that with time it'll relax and express itself.
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Core of creamy peach and lemon peel. Toasted hazelnuts and struck flint. Ginger and wet stone. Touches of honey and dried apricot of the medium to full bodied palate. Lovely fresh acidity and expansive finish. Still very fresh but showing so well right now. Broader and more developed than the Hunting Hill 2012 tasted alongside. Drink now or hold.
WSET Notes:
Medium lemon.
Pronounced on the nose with peach, pear, struck flint, lemon peel, wet stone, cream, toast, biscuit, vanilla, hazelnut, nutmeg, ginger. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate with dried apricot coming through. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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Part of a tasting dinner with colleagues: Not decanted. Pale-mid gold Still bright (youthful) on the nose: some ‘oily’ developed character, initially some wood (and vanilla) which blew off. There is a persistent smoky reductive note, intense lime citrus. Very attractive. Very good lift on the palate, silky vs creamy, open and great lift… has a fleeting energy, delicate acidity, surprisingly elegant overall with a light touch of cream and layered mealy flavours. Fine. Notes of peach and beeswax, quite pretty. Again, super lift and very fine. General comments were this has plenty of time to go, possibly on the young side from magnum.
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Pale green/yellow. Nose of lemon peel and oyster shells - something very maritime going on. Clean citrus fruit on the palate, mineral and salty with oyster shells again. Spicy oak on the finish. Round but no unnecessary fatness. Clean crisp and powerful. Agree with Jancis's long drinking window of 2017 - 2030. Really good but getting expensive
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Golden yellow with a good viscosity. Rich honeyed fruits on the nose with a big dose of wet stone and minerals. Full bodied on the palate with a tight mineral finish. This is a proper chardonnay and I would've guessed a rich style white burgundy if tasted blind. Serve it at around 10C and it's perfect. A serious wine and serious value for money.
Somewhat volatile on opening. Calmed down after 20-30 mins. Became super burg like. Dead ringer for a chassagne. Smoky profile. Balanced and complex. Impressive.
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Gorgeously seductive nose of cream and vanilla and apricots and butter. Tight acidity. Restrained but graceful nose. Not great length but pleasant citrusy sensations. The nose promises more than the palate eventually delivers, so perhaps somewhat disappointing.
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Pale straw yellow, clear rim. Refreshing apples, lemons, toasty oak. Stones, significant acidity, citrus - limes, hints of honeydew melon, nutty, good length. Very good Chardonnay, drinks well now with food, probably needs a couple more years.
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Taste of New Zealand - 2017: Straw, spice, orange, slate and lemon. Quite lean fruit profile on the palate, though it still shows good structure and flow. I like the texture and the balance. Would like to revisit in a few years.
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This bottle seemed a little over Oaked at the beginning but it blew off sufficiently to become unobtrusive. Nice medium yellow color with some tropical fruit and citrus. Medium long finish. Perhaps this needs more time but seems a bit flat to me.
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Similar to the last bottle, medium yellow, mineral and fruit on the nose and a balanced palate. Just not quite striking enough to me...I find the cheaper Coddington bottling to be much richer and having more depth of flavor.
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Medium yellow color. Heavy nose of grapefruit and minerals. Very bright on the tongue and dominated by the grapefruit and citrus flavor with a layer of cream of tartar. Needs time. I have had 4 different bottlings/vineyards of Kumeu Chardonnays from various years and I still find the Coddington most enjoyable. It seems to have more layered complexity and a really rich mouthfeel that I prefer while still having enough acidity to age well and pair well with a variety of food.
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Best of New Zealand wine lunch (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City): Moderate concentration straw with a hint of gold. Reductive burnt toast (oak). Slight yellow apple. - slight petillance - feels 13% - high- acid Disjointed oak with slight yogurt on the finish.
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Tight, restrained, young. Coconut, banana, pineapple, pomelo are first to appear on the palate. Fresh butter and creamy acids roll in behind. Very promising, hold 3 years more and retaste.
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Doft: Varmfruktiga inslag av bakad citron, mandarin, allmänt tropiskt och lite kanderat. En god dos ek med skirat smör, kolaremmar och lite orientaliska kryddor (tänk åt fänkålsfrö-/curryhållet) Smak: Fet textur med tropisk frukt och krämig, kolaaktig ekfatskaraktär samt fin kryddighet. Medelhög syra.
Väldigt trevlig Chardonnay av det fetare slaget!
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Young and spry nose of lime and lemon and moderate green "flower shop" notes from the oak (I guess?). Palate is more complex, adding a discreet christmasy spiciness (very seasonal at this time of year, sort of a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, allspice - basically Swedish gingerbread, except the ginger), hints of butterscotch, and a slight saltiness (salmiak is close but not spot on). Elegantly luxurious.
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Much riper than the other Chardonnays from Kumeu - this has that tropical fruit and buttery element to it that seems to dominate the structure a bit too much for my liking. Very well made wine, but I struggled a touch after 2 glasses (although like a trooper I soldiered on and finished the bottle!)
More inclined towards the Coddington or the Estate versions which seem slightly less full-throttle.
Knust stein, litt sitrus på nese. Noe fedme og florale toner med luft. Ikke så mye som skjer, men elegant. Oljete munnfølelse med bra konsentrasjon. Fin friskhet og er smooth å drikke. Fin balanse og trykker på. God lengde - ren og pen. Ungt. 90p
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Fabulous nose full of ripe fruit, Madagascar vanilla, marsipan, ripe sweet yuzu preserves, musky Chardonnay perfume; creamy texture (probably combination of ripe fruit, alcohol level and batonnage;good freshness; medium finish that ends in a Popsicle tropical fruit melange - the only thing detracting from even higher praise for this otherwise great wine. Very good value for money here, basically offers quite a lot of essence of Chardonnay perfume here for you chard sniffers as well as structure and mineralogy freshness for all Chablis purists as well. I suspect the oaky nose will calm down over time producing even greater experiences, but I am not sure my second bottle will survive summer given how much outright pleasure is available in the here and now with this wine.
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pale gold, lots of clarity, bluish hue Nose: pear, sour apple, white pepper, clove, oak Pal: pear, sour apple, white pepper, clove, spice, wax, tarragon, oak Feel: medium Finish: medium T7
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Thailand Weekend; 6/20/2015-6/21/2015 (Bangkok & Na Jomtien, Thailand): Quite deep gold for its age. Nose of ripe new world oaked chardonnay but with some elements of above-average sophistication.....hints of Mersault. Palate has good charcoal-roasted whole lemons acidity to balance the quite heavy melted butter that is the other distinctive element....although there is some minerality here too. The finish is marred by somewhat heavy alcohol. Overall, for a wine bought in Thailand it is not bad.....it has the Mersault-style muscularity to withstand the temperatures and generally poor storage.
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Pnp, light yellow with restrained nose of wet stone and lime. Good xoncentration in mouth, med acidic, some floral and creamy note sufaced, mineral and taste initially like a Chablis/Meursault. Over time, it turns into a Puligny 1er Cru as many had suggested. Thanks to Jancis Robinson for her highlights in FT!
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4/13/2024 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pale yellow. Incredibly fresh and young-tasting, how one earth can this be 12 years old, strongly reductive that lessens but never vanishes. There is a element of warm candle wax on the nose, and a slight saline spritz to go alongside the white apple flesh and racy citrus. Really grows in the glass, very elegant.
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4/13/2024 - Joshvoulters Likes this wine: 91 Points
France vs ROW (Home): So young for a 12 year old wine- the closure must have something to do with it. It's compact, with rich hazelnut, mandarin, vanilla and lemon and just a touch of reduction. It's similar in character on the palate - good ripe fruit concentration but you get the sense that with time it'll relax and express itself.
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12/5/2023 - sjfunkenhauser wrote: 93 Points
Medium gold colour
Pronounced aromas of toast, roasted hazelnuts, apple pie, dried apple, dried peach, lemon curd, peach, wet slate, orange pith, cream, nutmeg, ginger, honey, nougat.
Pronounced palate.
Medium (+) body, medium (+) acidity, long finish.
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11/20/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Core of creamy peach and lemon peel. Toasted hazelnuts and struck flint. Ginger and wet stone. Touches of honey and dried apricot of the medium to full bodied palate. Lovely fresh acidity and expansive finish. Still very fresh but showing so well right now. Broader and more developed than the Hunting Hill 2012 tasted alongside. Drink now or hold.
WSET Notes:
Medium lemon.
Pronounced on the nose with peach, pear, struck flint, lemon peel, wet stone, cream, toast, biscuit, vanilla, hazelnut, nutmeg, ginger. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate with dried apricot coming through. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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5/22/2022 - NiklasT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank new years 2019, amazing!
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4/1/2022 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 92 Points
Part of a tasting dinner with colleagues:
Not decanted.
Pale-mid gold
Still bright (youthful) on the nose: some ‘oily’ developed character, initially some wood (and vanilla) which blew off. There is a persistent smoky reductive note, intense lime citrus. Very attractive.
Very good lift on the palate, silky vs creamy, open and great lift… has a fleeting energy, delicate acidity, surprisingly elegant overall with a light touch of cream and layered mealy flavours. Fine. Notes of peach and beeswax, quite pretty. Again, super lift and very fine.
General comments were this has plenty of time to go, possibly on the young side from magnum.
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12/9/2021 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely Burgundian
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2/21/2020 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pale green/yellow. Nose of lemon peel and oyster shells - something very maritime going on. Clean citrus fruit on the palate, mineral and salty with oyster shells again. Spicy oak on the finish. Round but no unnecessary fatness. Clean crisp and powerful. Agree with Jancis's long drinking window of 2017 - 2030. Really good but getting expensive
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4/3/2019 - ricemanhk Likes this wine:
Golden yellow with a good viscosity. Rich honeyed fruits on the nose with a big dose of wet stone and minerals. Full bodied on the palate with a tight mineral finish. This is a proper chardonnay and I would've guessed a rich style white burgundy if tasted blind. Serve it at around 10C and it's perfect. A serious wine and serious value for money.
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2/22/2019 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Somewhat volatile on opening. Calmed down after 20-30 mins. Became super burg like. Dead ringer for a chassagne. Smoky profile. Balanced and complex. Impressive.
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5/23/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gorgeously seductive nose of cream and vanilla and apricots and butter. Tight acidity. Restrained but graceful nose. Not great length but pleasant citrusy sensations. The nose promises more than the palate eventually delivers, so perhaps somewhat disappointing.
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3/24/2018 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pale straw yellow, clear rim.
Refreshing apples, lemons, toasty oak.
Stones, significant acidity, citrus - limes, hints of honeydew melon, nutty, good length.
Very good Chardonnay, drinks well now with food, probably needs a couple more years.
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8/6/2017 - TiggerK wrote: 90 Points
Very nice wine, no sign of bitterness on the finish that some NZ tasters had noted previously. Will improve further.
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5/10/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Taste of New Zealand - 2017: Straw, spice, orange, slate and lemon. Quite lean fruit profile on the palate, though it still shows good structure and flow. I like the texture and the balance. Would like to revisit in a few years.
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4/30/2017 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 89 Points
Magic Chardonnay truffle&vanilla oomph: almost too much actually. Better served quite cold and not something I would save for two decades.
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7/8/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle seemed a little over Oaked at the beginning but it blew off sufficiently to become unobtrusive. Nice medium yellow color with some tropical fruit and citrus. Medium long finish. Perhaps this needs more time but seems a bit flat to me.
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6/25/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to the last bottle, medium yellow, mineral and fruit on the nose and a balanced palate. Just not quite striking enough to me...I find the cheaper Coddington bottling to be much richer and having more depth of flavor.
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4/25/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium yellow color. Heavy nose of grapefruit and minerals. Very bright on the tongue and dominated by the grapefruit and citrus flavor with a layer of cream of tartar. Needs time.
I have had 4 different bottlings/vineyards of Kumeu Chardonnays from various years and I still find the Coddington most enjoyable. It seems to have more layered complexity and a really rich mouthfeel that I prefer while still having enough acidity to age well and pair well with a variety of food.
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4/10/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 85 Points
Best of New Zealand wine lunch (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City): Moderate concentration straw with a hint of gold. Reductive burnt toast (oak). Slight yellow apple.
- slight petillance
- feels 13%
- high- acid
Disjointed oak with slight yogurt on the finish.
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2/26/2016 - BigJ Likes this wine:
Tight, restrained, young. Coconut, banana, pineapple, pomelo are first to appear on the palate. Fresh butter and creamy acids roll in behind. Very promising, hold 3 years more and retaste.
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2/19/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
Recommended by V Wines in Napa, looking for a palate cleanser after a week of Cab...
Nose of citrus notes, key limes, floral notes. Palate was rich, citrus and vanilla...buttery on the mid and back palate. Luxurious mouth feel.
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2/15/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
Rich long very elegant excellent wine
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2/13/2016 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
After the Estate I would say this wine has more complexity and depth needs time reminds me more of Chassagne beautiful wine what a discovery.
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12/28/2015 - Gurto wrote: 91 Points
Doft: Varmfruktiga inslag av bakad citron, mandarin, allmänt tropiskt och lite kanderat. En god dos ek med skirat smör, kolaremmar och lite orientaliska kryddor (tänk åt fänkålsfrö-/curryhållet)
Smak: Fet textur med tropisk frukt och krämig, kolaaktig ekfatskaraktär samt fin kryddighet. Medelhög syra.
Väldigt trevlig Chardonnay av det fetare slaget!
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12/15/2015 - Gece Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young and spry nose of lime and lemon and moderate green "flower shop" notes from the oak (I guess?). Palate is more complex, adding a discreet christmasy spiciness (very seasonal at this time of year, sort of a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, allspice - basically Swedish gingerbread, except the ginger), hints of butterscotch, and a slight saltiness (salmiak is close but not spot on). Elegantly luxurious.
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9/8/2015 - pjaines wrote:
Much riper than the other Chardonnays from Kumeu - this has that tropical fruit and buttery element to it that seems to dominate the structure a bit too much for my liking. Very well made wine, but I struggled a touch after 2 glasses (although like a trooper I soldiered on and finished the bottle!)
More inclined towards the Coddington or the Estate versions which seem slightly less full-throttle.
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7/6/2015 - hajoha wrote: 90 Points
Knust stein, litt sitrus på nese.
Noe fedme og florale toner med luft.
Ikke så mye som skjer, men elegant.
Oljete munnfølelse med bra konsentrasjon.
Fin friskhet og er smooth å drikke.
Fin balanse og trykker på.
God lengde - ren og pen.
Ungt. 90p
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7/3/2015 - Gece Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rich oak. Tulips and salmiak.
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7/3/2015 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fabulous nose full of ripe fruit, Madagascar vanilla, marsipan, ripe sweet yuzu preserves, musky Chardonnay perfume; creamy texture (probably combination of ripe fruit, alcohol level and batonnage;good freshness; medium finish that ends in a Popsicle tropical fruit melange - the only thing detracting from even higher praise for this otherwise great wine. Very good value for money here, basically offers quite a lot of essence of Chardonnay perfume here for you chard sniffers as well as structure and mineralogy freshness for all Chablis purists as well. I suspect the oaky nose will calm down over time producing even greater experiences, but I am not sure my second bottle will survive summer given how much outright pleasure is available in the here and now with this wine.
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6/30/2015 - Frijole wrote:
pale gold, lots of clarity, bluish hue
Nose: pear, sour apple, white pepper, clove, oak
Pal: pear, sour apple, white pepper, clove, spice, wax, tarragon, oak
Feel: medium
Finish: medium
T7
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6/20/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 87 Points
Thailand Weekend; 6/20/2015-6/21/2015 (Bangkok & Na Jomtien, Thailand): Quite deep gold for its age. Nose of ripe new world oaked chardonnay but with some elements of above-average sophistication.....hints of Mersault. Palate has good charcoal-roasted whole lemons acidity to balance the quite heavy melted butter that is the other distinctive element....although there is some minerality here too. The finish is marred by somewhat heavy alcohol. Overall, for a wine bought in Thailand it is not bad.....it has the Mersault-style muscularity to withstand the temperatures and generally poor storage.
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6/2/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pnp, light yellow with restrained nose of wet stone and lime. Good xoncentration in mouth, med acidic, some floral and creamy note sufaced, mineral and taste initially like a Chablis/Meursault. Over time, it turns into a Puligny 1er Cru as many had suggested. Thanks to Jancis Robinson for her highlights in FT!
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12/30/2014 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine:
Tasted at the winery.
Promising, fantastic nose but not very accessible; too young now. Give it another 4+ years.
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