Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2023

Cellar for up to 20 years. Serve chilled. Situated just north-west of Auckland, the family-run Kumeu River winery has built a solid international reputation for elegant, Burgundy-style Chardonnays. Despite the winery’s sultry northerly location, the vines are planted just 20km from the Tasman Sea and 30km from the Pacific Ocean which both help to keep summer temperatures under 30°C. This cooling effect ensures ideal conditions for creating fresh, aromatic white wines which really give their French counterparts a run for their money. Kumeu’s Hunting Hill Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine sourced from a sloping site which tends to ripen early and contributes a distinctive stony minerality and lemon blossom aroma to the wine. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak before spending 11 months maturing in used barrels. This adds a smooth, rounded texture to the wine without overwhelming the bright lemon, pineapple and pink grapefruit essence of the varietal. Thanks to the mouthwatering freshness and intense fruit flavours, this sophisticated Chardonnay offers significant ageing potential and will continue to develop if cellared up to 20 years. When you do decide to drink it, pair with roast chicken seasoned with herbs, lobster or strongly-flavoured cheeses to match the concentrated flavour profile of the wine.

Price: £49.88 from 8wines UK