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Chardonnay Estate, Kumeu River 2019

RegionNew Zealand
Subregion New Zealand > Auckland
ColourWhite
TypeStill
Grape VarietyChardonnay

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Kumeu River

Label

Tasting Notes

The quality of the Estate Chardonnay in 2019 is remarkable. Pale lemon colour in the glass, creamy, smoky citrus and riper peach come through on the nose in tandem with the textbook flinty reduction that we have come to expect from Kumeu River. The palate has superb delineation of citrus, stone and even tropical pineapple fruit, but is tamed by a hit of zesty acidity. There is real weight and viscosity, with deep honeyed lemon and buttery poached pears coming through. The struck match and savoury spices add layers of complexity through the mid-palate, but everything is in balance despite the power. Long and harmonious, a superb wine that will drink well in the next 12 months but will no doubt improve and evolve with bottle age for a decade. This is a contender for the best Estate ever, alongside the brilliant 2014 and 2010 vintages.

94+
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, July 2020

The real steal is the 2019 Estate Chardonnay. It is absolutely glorious. A selection of the best grapes from 'six different vineyards in the Kumeu region'. Hand-harvested, whole-bunch pressed, indigenous-yeast fermentation, 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malolactic conversion and 11-month maturation in barrel.
Pale greenish straw. Some super-delicate oak on the nose (or do I just mean a hint of savoury Côte d'Or perfume?!). So pure on the nose yet with great grip on the palate and already accessible in a grapefruit sort of way. With this intensity of fruit, it will clearly evolve into something even more convincing but you could certainly enjoy it now. It has both weight and a crystalline quality. VGV Drink 2020 – 2025

16.5+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, September 2020

Boasting signature scents of toasted hazelnuts and white peaches, the 2019 Estate Chardonnay is a classic example of the house style. Medium to full-bodied, it somehow manages to be creamy and zesty at the same time, with rich fruit enlivened by electric acidity and bright citrus notes. Always enjoyable young, this vintage looks to have at least a decade's worth of longevity. 2021-2030.

93
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate, June 2021
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.