2022 Kumeu River, Coddington Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand
Critics reviews
They have a lease for three more years on this vineyard which changed hands recently and they’re now managing the vines themselves to good effect. 25% new oak.
Very pale straw. Rich and quite intense. With some savour and vibrancy. Lots of grip.Very bright fruit with good appeal and perhaps a bit less obviously sweet than in the past. 13.5%
Drink 2024 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (September 2023)
The 2022 Coddington Chardonnay leads with lemon balm/oil, green-olive brine, crème brûlée top (a.k.a. scorched brown sugar), peach fuzz, and an abundance of orchard fruit. In the mouth, kiwi fruit acidity (a.k.a. juicy, sweet, tart) defines the perimeters of the flavors and beckons you in for another, closer look.
It's very, very good, a distinct wine, pure, all aspects delineated and deliberate. I like this. It feels orderly and mathematical. If the wine had a sound, it would be a straight-pace bowl at the wickets, one flying out of stumps (name a better sound, I'll wait). It's not that immediately obvious, though; it builds and takes a while to assert itself, and I like that too. Very good.
13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Drink 2023 - 2037
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (September 2023)
Taut and tangy chardonnay with grapefruit, gunpowder, white-fleshed peach, oyster shell and green apple flavours. The wine has a firm backbone of acidity with a dusting of bright tannins. High-energy, mouth-watering wine that needs a few years to mellow and let the flavours integrate.
Drink 2023 - 2029
Bob Campbell, The Real Review (September 2023)
About this WINE
Kumeu River
Maté Brajkovich, a Dalmation by birth, arrived in New Zealand in 1938. In 1944 he and his parents purchased a property with a small vineyard and Kumeu River wines was born. However it was not until Michael, Mate's son, took over in 1982 that the true potential of the vineyards began to be fully realised.
Michael, the first New Zealander to become a Master of Wine, vastly improved the quality of the fruit though improved drainage systems, the growing of grass between the vine rows and by the introduction of the Lyre trellis system. Its two Chardonnays, the Kumeu River Chardonnay and the Matés Vineyard Chardonnay, are arguably the best in New Zealand and have been consecutively named in the Top one hundred Wines of the world by the Wine Spectator.
Auckland
At the head of North Island, the Auckland region brims with a disproportionate amount of wineries (17 percent of New Zealand's total), even though it is planted with just two percent of the country's vines.
Despite being on the doorstep of an affluent Auckland, the fairly humid, near-tropical climate and fertile soils makes fine wine little more than a pipe dream – the notable exception being Kumeu River Wines, where the tireless work of the Brajkovich family in taming the vines while honing their winemaking has resulted in the country's finest Chardonnays.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
There is a nice subtle rounded edge to this wine. Some great richness that develops on the palate. The oak is present but nicely integrated even at this early stage. The fruit is quite precise with an abundance of fresh pear, green apple and white blossom bursting out of the glass as it evolves. There is a pleasant finish here too, quite mineral acidity tails off with quite a persistent toasty ending. Tremendous wine.
Drink 2025 - 2034
Luke Dowdy, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
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