Kumeu River continues to set the bar for white wine in New Zealand. The range of Chardonnays produced here has beaten the best wines from around the world time and again, yet the prices remain incredibly low. If these wines came from the Côte d’Or (and if you tasted them blind you’d likely think they did), they would be three times the price.

The 2023s are as impressive as ever in what was a challenging year, one of the lowest yielding vintages for Kumeu River in recent history. The wines are bright, open and moreish, impressing the Farr team when we tasted them recently. Alcohols are modest; the fruit characterful and intense. These are ethereal wines that tingle with bright acidity and energy, and - perhaps Hunting Hill aside - will drink well in their youth, though they have the amplitude to age.

The Estate Chardonnay remains one of the best value white wines in the world - the 2023 open-knit and ideal for drinking over the coming 5+ years and with just 12.5% alcohol it is fine-boned and moreish. Rays Road continues to improve under the Brajkovich's stewardship and the three three single vineyards from Auckland are the essence of themselves, the difficult growing season revealing their qualities. Coddington has surprising ripeness yet harmonious vibrancy, Hunting Hill is its ever-tightly-coiled self and the Maté's delivers power and energy at once.

As a result of the small crop there are no large formats and half bottles are very limited. The wines will be available for delivery in October.