The very first vintage of Kumeu River Chardonnay that I tasted was the 1987 and I was so impressed with it that we placed our first ex cellars order soon after. Farr Vintners has imported every vintage produced since then. It's a wine that I have served blind countless times and even people who have fallen for it before still identify it as White Burgundy. My first visit to Kumeu was in January 1990 and 20 years on - almost to the day - here I am again, heading out of Auckland to see New Zealand's King of Chardonnay - Michael Brajkovich MW.
Michael Brajkovich MW
|
Michael was born on 1st January 1960 (5 days after me!) so recently celebrated his 50th birthday and is also about to celebrate 25 years of Kumeu River Chardonnay. He was New Zealand's first ever Master of Wine and continues to produce top quality wines at his family's winery which is just 20 minutes outside the centre of Auckland. His wines have recently received (long overdue) huge scores in The Wine Advocate and consequently strong demand from around the world.
First up at Kumeu River is their "Village" wine which is, in effect a second label. It's made from young vine fruit, press wine and other bits and pieces and elevaged in 1/3 barrel and 2/3 tank. It tastes like a cross between a village Chablis and a good Macon and I suspect that most of the 8000 case annual production is sold domestically in New Zealand. A very good entry level Chardonnay, its production ensures that only first quality fruit goes into Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay itself.
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay was first produced in 1985 and today is sourced from 6 local vineyards all of which are either owned by the family or farmed by them on long-term contracts. Around 5000 - 6000 cases are produced annually with Farr Vintners taking between 5 and 10% of the production. Elevage is entirely in French oak barrels of which 20% are new each year.
Paul and Michael Brajkovich
|
The new Coddington Chardonnay was first produced as a single vineyard wine in 2006. The vineyard is managed for the owner by Michael's brother Milan who is the family viticulturalist. The fruit went into the Estate Chardonnay between 1998 and 2005 but the quality is so high that it was felt that it deserves its own bottling. About 1000 cases are produced from this low-yielding, North-facing slope. It is aged exclusively in Gillet barrels from Burgundy which Michael feels complement the style of the wine. It reminds me of Meursault as it has a wonderfully luscious, plump, creamy and opulent style with a little hint of apricots. A hedonists delight, it's easy to see why this wine has received such great scores in the two vintages produced so far (93 for the 2006 and 94 for the 2007).
The Hunting Hill Chardonnay was also produced for the first time in 2006 but this family owned vineyard was in fact the original source of the first Kumeu River Chardonnay back in 1985. Replanted with better clones in 1999, these 10 year old vines now produce such good fruit that 2/3 of the crop is bottled separately and 1/3 still goes into the Estate Chardonnay. Like the other wines, it is aged in French oak (about 23% new) but from 10 different coopers with various degrees of toast and oak provenance. The resulting wine is fabulously complex and elegant with citric hints and more of a steely character than the Coddington. It's quickly becoming my personal favourite and reminds me of a Premier Cru Puligny Montrachet in style.
A Seguin Moreau barrel of Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay
|
Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay needs little introduction from me. Named after Michael's father, the vines were planted in 1990 and world-class wine has been produced under this label since 1993. With the vines now 20 years old, they have reached optimum maturity and (as we've said many times before) this is a Corton Charlemagne taste-alike. The yield here averages a measly 35 hl/ha and can be as little as 25 hl/ha in some vintages. There is a high percentage of Seguin-Moreau barrels used for the Mate's with 30% new each year.
This visit highlighted to me that the 3 single vineyard wines are all very individual and different in style from each other whilst the Estate Chardonnay is as good - or maybe better - than ever and combines some of the attributes of each of its big brothers.
Michael explained to me that, during the last 25 years, the vineyards here have seen plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernets and other varieties come and go. He still produces some good Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir but it's Chardonnay that has made Kumeu River's reputation and in my view there is no-one to touch Kumeu River in New Zealand or, indeed, anywhere else in the Southern hemisphere. The wines remain remarkably well priced despite their high quality and reputation and I leave feeling rather chuffed that Farr Vintners has been bringing them to the UK for over 20 years.
