Kumeu River Cremant (NV)

Vinous 89 points: "The NV Crémant is a Chardonnay-dominant, sparkling wine with plenty of focus on the compact mid-palate. It's a savory style with pastry notes plaited over bruised apples and a portion of Pinot Noir imbuing a mushroom-like earth character. The acidity is rather gentle compared with say Champagne. Ready for drinking now as an aperitif, but with its integrated, restrained fizz despite being 6 bar, I can see it paired with roast pork. Just 4g/L dosage making for fully dry giving some volume but also allowing for lower acidity." -- tasted by Rebecca Gibb MW, September 2022

A similar set of standards apply to the vinification, including hand harvesting and whole bunch pressing. As the term implies, the taste should be creamy.
The finished wine shows delicate strawberry red fruit Pinot aromas, and floral Chardonnay with bready yeast complexity. It has a delightfully creamy texture with a fine bead of bubbles. With a nicely balanced low dosage, it is refreshingly dry with a long, lingering fine finish. Deliberately closed with a crown cap to preserve its quality and remain free from any possibility of cork taint.

Hand harvested Whole-bunch pressed 
Country: New Zealand
Region: Kumeu
Vintage: NV
Grape Variety: 60% Chardonnay 40% Pinot Noir

Founded in 1944 by Mick Brajkovich, their wife Katé, and their son Maté, Kumeu River was one of the early pioneers in Auckland, New Zealand, that helped to establish its reputation as a world-class wine region. Before that, they lived In their small Croatian village of Živogošće, Mick and Katé Brajkovich had also farmed small plots of land, and had experience tending vines and making their own wine. After a few years of working in the gum fields, the family moved to Henderson in West Auckland. Still family-owned and run, Kumeu River continues to pioneer new frontiers: winemaker Michael Brajkovich became New Zealand’s first member of the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine, London, and has been testing and championing screw cap closures for nearly 20 years. In 2017 Ray's Road Vineyard acquisition. The Brajkovich acquire their first primary vineyard site outside of Kumeu in Hawke's Bay.