KUMEU RIVER HUNTING HILL CHARDONNAY 2023
| Grape: | Chardonnay |
| Vineyard: | Hunting Hill, Kumeu River |
| Origin: | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| ABV%: | 12.8% |
| Colour: | Yellow |
| Aromas: | Ripe stone fruits, lemon, lime and blossom. |
| Flavours: | Beautifully balanced ripe peach and citrus flavours. Silky and textural with the distinctive lemon drop on the finish. |
This vineyard was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive, mealy minerality.
The 2023 vintage in Hunting Hill was both lighter in ripeness and also lower in yield. The reduction in yield has made for quite a textural Hunting Hill. Even though 2023 was a lighter year, Hunting Hill is still very recognisable for its fragrance of lemon/lime blossom. The palate is silky and textural with the distinctive lemon drop on the finish. This is a beautifully balanced Hunting Hill that even though approachable now will definitely benefit from bottle age of 5 – 8 years.
Reviews
Jancis Robinson - 17.5/20
"The Brajkoviches’ 3.37-ha vineyard was replanted in 2001 with clone 15. Made in the same way as Coddington and hand-picked over the Feb/Mar bridge. Whole-bunch pressed. Spontaneous fermentation. 100% barrel-fermented in used French oak. 100% malo and 11 months’ maturation in barrel. Very ‘settled’, complex nose. Savoury finish and probably the most burgundian of these Chardonnays. Lemon syrup (not sweet) impression with a light blossomy top note. Real substance and build. It certainly doesn’t seem skinny, despite the lower-than-usual alcohol and has a mineral chewiness on the finish. More elegant, and more citrus, than the Maté’s. JR"