2014 New Zealand

Lovely scent of white flower, acacia, touch of nougatine,  pear, beeswax – complex, detailed and harmonious.  The palate is fresh and yet with a rounded, mealy quality, crisp green apple, fig notes and peach. Very good pithy grip on the back palate.  This is a seriously good Chardonnay with great complexity and linear quality.  The flagship single vineyard Chardonnay and it shows in its concentration.  A beautifully linear finish, akin to a grand cru Chablis.  Great development potential. 2017 – 2022.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager

Established in 1944, Kumeu River Wines is still owned and operated by the Brajkovich Family.  Michael Brajkovich is producing some of the best New Zealand Chardonnays currently available, wines that get their inspiration from white Burgundy and in particular the likes of Puligny Montrachet & Chassagne Montrachet, especially in terms of reserve and minerality. 

There is a rather tired tendency amongst the trade to compare New world with Old world wines but genuinely the Kumeu wines are comparable.  This comparison in no way takes away any of the new Zealand-ness of these wines, it is just meant to emphasise the extreme quality one can find here at a fraction of the price one would spend for the same quality in the Northern hemisphere.

These terroir driven wines compete with the best the New World has to offer like Giaconda, Penfold’s Yattarna but with a price attractive to many. The current vintage of 2014 is once again an exemplary vintage in a string of superb offerings from this estate.  For any white wine lover, these Chardonnays are a must have.

The Pinot spends three weeks on the skins before being aged for 12 months in French oak, of which 35% is new. Attractive pale ruby in colour, the nose of this 2014 Pinot Noir is laced with ripe cherry fruit and red liquorice, with a lifted perfume of black raspberry leaf. The palate is elegantly balanced with fine tannins which surround a succulent core of red cherries and mulberries, overladen with notes of clove and violets. Medium in body with a refreshing acidity which keeps everything in check and leads towards a moreish finish. A very fine effort with a lot to like here, and will offer enjoyment from 2017 – 2025.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager

Beautiful bright ruby in colour. Expressive red fruit on the nose but that is not what this wine is about. Lovely spice and much more reserved in character than most NZ Pinot. Very cool fruit on the palate. Rich and round as it should be but with the poise and composure of a great Burgundy. Seductive and savoury. One of the great New World Pinot Noirs. Buy this, drink it or hold it… sensational!
Gareth Birchley, Fine Wine Buyer.