2022 Kumeu River, Rays Road Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Critics reviews
Newer clones 548 and 15 plus limestone character shape this wine which sees hardly any new oak. They will be planting virus-free Mendoza and will eventually eliminate the Sauvignon Blanc that was originally planted in this vineyard for Trinity Hill.
Very pure and lively, lifted nose. Very unmistakably NZ with just a touch more simple acidity than the other Kumeu Chardonnays. A little chew on the end. Finish is not that persistent. 12.5%
Drink 2023 - 2027
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinsonn.com (September 2023)
The 2022 Rays Road Chardonnay is fine and spicy, with a tense line of acidity and phenolics—they feel linear and interwoven—that stream through the fruit. This is a very pretty, pithy Chardonnay with ground white pepper, white flesh peach, crushed shells, layers of juniper berry and star anise/cut fennel inflections.
I like the staying power of the fruit in the mouth. It is persistent and long. This is really nicely done, and I'm looking forward to seeing this wine (and this vineyard) more over its journey. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Drink 2023 - 2032
Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (September 2023)
Bright, fresh, elegant wine with oyster shell, grapefruit/citrus, green apple and spicy oak flavours with a vibrant backbone of mouth-watering acidity and peppery phenolics. High energy wine that is drinking well upon release.
Drink 2023 - 2028
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 fantastic freshness to the wine this vintage, 2022 was a cooler year. It’s brimming with citrus notes of lemon and lime peel on the nose and palate but also has lots of spice and white peach notes to round it off. It’s zippy with lots of acidity from the limestone soils the vines are grown on. The wine is fermented in oak barrels but not aged in them, which gives an extra bit of roundness to the mouthfeel. This wine just keeps getting better every year!
Drink 2024 - 2032
Tara Field, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (September 2023)
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