The Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2023 comes from one of New Zealand's most celebrated Chardonnay producers. The Brajkovich family has been crafting world-class Chardonnay in the Kumeu region, northwest of Auckland, for decades — their wines regularly standing alongside the finest white Burgundies in international tastings. The Estate Chardonnay is drawn from six different vineyard sites across the Kumeu region, with only the very best parcels selected for the Estate label.
Hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed, this wine is fermented entirely in French oak barrels using indigenous yeasts, with full malolactic fermentation and eleven months of barrel maturation. The 2023 vintage was a lighter year, resulting in a moderate 12.5% alcohol, and no new oak was used — primarily one and two-year-old barrels — lending a beautifully restrained and balanced character to the wine.
On the nose, fragrant lemon aromas mingle with hints of white peach, orange blossom and beeswax. The palate is silky and medium-bodied, with fresh, crunchy acidity carrying flavours of sliced lemon, green apple and nectarine through to a clean, mineral-driven finish. The 2023 is a touch more citrus than peachy, with lovely salty undertones and a subtle flinty complexity. Delicious now, but as always with Kumeu River, it will reward cellaring for four to six years.
Vintages may vary. Email us at hello@barrelandbatch.com.au if you would like confirmation.