2016 Kumeu River, Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand

2016 Kumeu River, Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand

Product: 20168029131
 
2016 Kumeu River, Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu, New Zealand

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Description

Pale gold, a little lighter than the Mate’s which sits directly below Hunting Hill. There is real tension and focus here, with a beautiful lime blossom fragrance that is the hallmark of this special vineyard and reminiscent of the dry Rieslings from the Clare Valley. Taut and intense on the palate, with a racy acidity, it is very easy to compare this to a top producer 1er Cru Puligny such is the class and mineral drive. An absolute knockout this year, I’d give this 3 or 4 years in the cellar to develop a little more and drink over the following 5 years.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate95/100
The voluminous yet weightless 2016 Hunting Hill Chardonnay continues this bottling's successful run of vintages. Hints of roasted cashew accent tropical fruit, but thanks to a zesty line of citrusy acids, the wine powers forward without ever seeming overly broad or heavy. It simply coats the mouth with a stunning array of complex flavors, lingering gently on the finish.
Joe Czerwinski - 28/02/2018 Read more
Other
This wine has fragrant lemon/lime blossom aromas on the nose that typify the lovely perfume we always get from Hunting Hill. The class of this vineyard shows through in 2016 where conditions were not always perfect. The fruit from Hunting Hill was clean with beautiful flavours that has come through in the finished wine with a supple texture an lingering finish. As with previous vintages of Hunting Hill we expect this to drink well for 6 – 8 years.
Winemaker’s note
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About this WINE

Kumeu River

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.

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Auckland

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.

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Chardonnay

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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