Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay Auckland – 2023

Please note: maximum of 6 bottles per customer

Hunting Hill is Kumeu River’s coolest vineyard site because it sits in the direct path of Pacific Ocean sea breezes from the west. These breezes help produce extremely healthy fruit, and the wines have a recognisable lemon and lime blossom fragrance. It is very distinctive in its terroir typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, with richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. A beautifully elegant wine.

“Aromas of apples, white peaches and steel with hints of lemongrass, fresh basil, flint and white flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and dense center palate and a crunchy and flavorful finish. Energetic acidity. So fresh yet dense at the same time.” 96/100 James Suckling

“100% barrel fermentation (5+ year old+ French oak Barriques), 16% tank fermentation

First planted in 1982 (and replanted in 2021), this is a super-important wine in the portfolio and is always one of my preferred wines.  In 2023, the fruit seems terrifically controlled and ordered, and this formality adds a degree of flair and knowing to the experience.  This is one of the wines that regularly sits in a genuine world-class flight of Chardonnays, and the finish is largely responsible for this. The drama, built from the acidity, which is a factor in its situation, means that this is a classically shaped and deliciously raspy wine.  Drink from 2028.” 18.5+/20  Matthew Jukes

“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” 17.5/20pts Jancis Robinson MW

“The 2023 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the most concentrated of the collection so far with the Ray’s Road wine still to be tasted. This vineyard is very close to the Maté’s vineyard, up on the slope overlooking the other. The wine has nuances of sun-dried kelp, scratched lemon peel, yellow peach and churned butter/almond meal richness. This is likely more in line with the vineyard expression “as we know it,” with a floral lift through the finish. This is a really good wine here. It’s nutty, salty and floral. 12.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.” 95/100 Wine Advocate