Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

Cellar for up to 20 years. Serve chilled. Tucked away just to the north of Auckland, the famed Kumeu River winery is best known for their breathtaking Burgundy-style Chardonnays. The family-run winery is located 30km from the Pacific Ocean and 20km from the Tasman Sea which helps to moderate summer temperatures and create white wines with remarkable finesse and elegance. Mate’s Vineyard is Kumeu’s flagship single vineyard Chardonnay which comes from 18-year old vines planted on mineral rich soils. This is always the last vineyard to be harvested by the family so the grapes enjoy an extended ripening period which helps to add complexity and intense flavours to the wine. After vinification the wine is aged in oak barrels of which 30% are new for 11 months to add a delicious creamy texture and hints of vanilla to the wine. An enchanting perfume of ripe peaches, almond blossom and bright citrus seduces the nose as soon as you open this bottle of Chardonnay, while the palate offers tropical fruit flavours, racy acidity and a distinctive flinty minerality. Full-bodied and incredibly smooth in the mouth, this is an ideal partner for creamy chicken dishes or even veal. If you have the patience, this bottle will continue to develop and evolve over the next decade or so if it is stored in optimum cellar conditions.

Price: £55.26 from 8wines UK