WHITE WINE

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Aromas and flavors of sliced apples, lemon curd and hints of stone. Oyster shell. Lime undertones. It’s medium-bodied. Firm and fine phenolics. Tension and focus. Impressive (95) JAMES SUCKLING

Such lovely stylish Chardonnay from this producer. White peach, almond meal, subtle floral and fennel/mint perfume, light cinnamon spice. It’s fluid and mellifluous, almond biscuit with some citrus and apple, fine powdery texture, flecked with pleasant green things, a slight oyster shell flavour and a cool and creamy finish of excellent length, with a subtle sappy aftertaste. Calm, composed and such a lovely thing to drink. Highly recommended GARY WALSH, Wine Front

This is Kumeu River's calling card. Made from a selection of six different sites of which they own four. Whole-bunch pressed and barrel-fermented (20% new). Vines planted from 1989 to 2005.
Some real richness on the nose. Then a green streak. Very fine texture! With Puligny savour and lift. Creamy yet fresh. Bullseye for the style. Good light grip on the end. Convincing. JANCIS ROBINSON MW

The ever-reliable Estate Chardonnay is a success again this year. Very pale in colour with a highly refined perfume of fresh pear, white peach and a little sandalwood. It has already opened up in the last six months and is showing a beautiful light smokiness from reduction. The palate has a superb sheen, with white fruits and flowers slick and refined, harmonious with a kick of savoury spices from well-judged use of oak. There is depth to the fruit, and a gentle creaminess that should build as this ages in bottle. Limes and a hint of charred wood drive to the finish, which is long and focused. This will drink well over the coming decade - I'd be tempted to decant now, or wait six months before approaching THOMAS PARKER MW

The 2022 Estate Chardonnay is nutty and svelte, with white peach, pastry, apricot kernel, brine and even a hint of malt biscuit through the finish. The wine has breadth and girth to it; it's not at all compact, but it's tight in texture. So, all things being equal, it's an exciting Chardonnay. This is from six different sites in the Kumeu area, with wine aging on lees in 20% new oak (just about all François Frères) for approximately 11 months. Lovely acid ERIN LARKIN, Wine Advocate

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Made by Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich from sustainably grown Pinot Gris grapes that are hand-harvested and sorted in their Kumeu Vineyards then gently whole-bunch pressed. Fermented using local wild yeast with extended maturation on the yeast lees. This is always an absolute belter of a wine and 2023 has captured warm sunny fruit with zesty freshness making it just a little bit irrestable.

Lovely peach and stone fruit notes tinged with the floral perfume that gives it a little honsuclkle lift. he wine is brimming with energy that helps drive the perfectly sweet fruits. Love the balance here. This absolutely hits the spot.

The first vintage of Village Chardonnay I tasted was from the 2002 vintage and it has been my “house Chardonnay” ever since. BOB CAMPBELL MW

If Michael Brajkovich MW were a Burgundian rather than a New Zealander, he would be among the most celebrated white winemakers in the Côte de Beaune...TIM ATKIN MW

A delicious chardonnay with a sour lemon, cooked apple and grapefruit undertone. Medium body. Tangy and fruity. Drink now. Screw cap. JAMES SUCKLING

Honestly, how does Michael do it? This is one of the best value and most consistent chardonnay releases anywhere in the world. In fact, we dare you to put forward another! It never fails to deliver a little bit of that chardonnay richness we like with beautifully handled winemaking, the perfect amount of oak and plenty of juicy deliciousness. The 2023 looks to be one of the better early releases we have seen too so get yourself a few extras before they run out.