Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2021

Vinous 95 points: "The 2021 Chardonnay Hunting Hill is its usually sinewy, taut and lightly floral self. Often in the shadow of Mate's Vineyard, Hunting Hill seems to be becoming more and more serious as the vines age - they're around 20 years old. Expect a muscular, unyielding wine that has lemon and lime bitter notes, nectarine and even a whiff of seaside - all salty and briny." -- tasted by Rebecca Gibb MW, September 2022

Country: New Zealand
Region: Kumeu
Vintage: 2021
Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Hunting Hill is very distinctive in its terroir typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. This is an absolute classic example of how great the Chardonnay grape can be: A beautifully powerful, yet elegant and complex wine with long term aging ability.

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.