2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill

Community Tasting Notes (18) Avg Score: 91.6 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sfwinelover1's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/17/2024 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  One off ($38) about 18 months ago from Napa cellerage operation #2. On the nose and palate, fairly subdued notes of lemon-lime, green apples, yellow grapefruit, white melon, river rocks, saline and a faint bit of beeswax. Crystalline, light to medium bodied, medium legs. Medium+ acidity, not a trace of heat. VG+ intensity, VG persistence, good complexity. This producer has been a favorite of mine since being introduced to the Estate bottling hiking the Milford Track almost 20 years ago to the day. Brisk, crisp, sleek, lithe and steely, this bottling, which I’m having for the first time, perhaps even more than the others (despite WE calling it the producer’s most opulent bottling, and the last writer 2x describing it as “rich), could easily pass for Chablis, as I find nary a hint of tropical or stone fruits. It opened ever so slightly more both with time and coming to room temperature (although even with a less expansive frame, I preferred cooler, I know: call me a philistine), but it was never my idea of generous. This is a terrific wine with the right food, and it excelled with crabcakes one night and sushi another (I think that it would be right there with my fave, the Spottswoode SB with oysters, too), better, for my palate than on its own, although like a good sancerre or chablis, I think that sipping it on a warm evening from Auberge’s deck overlooking the Valley wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, either. Robust acidity gives the sense that this should last at least a few more years at a VG level and could incrementally improve. Solid effort, if slightly behind Coddington, the Estate and the Mate’s. 91-92+

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mjgkng's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/26/2023 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Ripe and rich fruit. Excellent NZ Chardonnay.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mjgkng's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/4/2023 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Ripe, rich and delicious.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View jfpwine's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/16/2022 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Deep yellow. Yellow and green apple the nose with just a slight hint of stone fruit. Crisp and saline on the palate, with mostly ripe lemon showing through the finish. This is great, blind I would have called a Meursault village.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mjgkng's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/12/2022 - mjgkng Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Ripe dry citrus with hints of lemon. Little or no oak. Excellent vintage.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 18 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.