Kumeu Village Maté's Chardonnay 2021

Kumeu River, northwest of Auckland is without a doubt one of  NZ’s finest chardonnay producers.  Master of Wine and Winemaker Michael Brajkovich has been crafting fine chardonnay at the estate since the 1980’s.  

In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River.

The 2021 vintage of Kumeu Village Maté's Chardonnay 2021 was hand harvested whole-bunch pressed, using indigenous yeast fermentation, 100% barrel fermentation, 100% malo-lactic fermentation and 11 months maturation in barrel.

Pale gold. Quite an opulent nose. I must say the nose made me think involuntarily of some Corton-Charlemagnes. Really precise and mealy with perfect balance. You could already enjoy it but it will surely become even more complex in bottle. Long and satisfying, a wine designed to soothe sore throats. Quite a triumph; easy to see why it's the most expensive in this range. - Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com, 24 June 2021

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal -  Chardonnay
Country - New Zealand
Region - Kumeu
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%
Other - Vegan Friendly
Closure - Screw Cap