Kumeu River - Chardonnay Hunting Hill 2023 (750ml)
Price: $71.00
| Producer | Kumeu River |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Auckland |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Sku | 9823 |
| Size | 750ml |
James Suckling: 96 Points
Aromas of apples white peaches and steel with hints of lemongrass fresh basil flint and white flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with a tight and dense center palate and a crunchy and flavorful finish. Energetic acidity. So fresh yet dense at the same time.
jsWine Advocate: 95 Points
The 2023 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the most concentrated of the collection so far with the Ray's Road wine still to be tasted. This vineyard is very close to the Maté's vineyard up on the slope overlooking the other. The wine has nuances of sun-dried kelp scratched lemon peel yellow peach and churned butter/almond meal richness. This is likely more in line with the vineyard expression "as we know it" with a floral lift through the finish. This is a really good wine here. It's nutty salty and floral. 12.8% alcohol sealed under screw cap. The 2023 collection is the product of a challenging year. 2023 saw a deluge of rain across the North Island that in the context of Auckland brought the annual average up 1.5 times the norm from 1113 millimeters per year (1963 - 2022 at the Auckland Airport weather station) to 1723 millimeters in 2023. When we consider the July 2022 to June 2023 numbers (the growing season fully encapsulated) the rainfall accumulation is even higher at 1964 millimeters*. Average rainfall per day in Auckland was 5.9 millimeters up from 3.3 millimeters in 2022 and 2.2 millimeters in 2021. To bring context to this measurement NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll said ?Those living in Northland Auckland the Coromandel Peninsula Gisborne and Hawke?s Bay have dealt with a constant barrage of sub-tropical lows atmospheric rivers and ex-tropical cyclones which caused copious amounts of rainfall. It has been quite relentless.?** Watching from afar the north was subject to catastrophic flooding in parts and landslips the evidence of which was still visible when I visited in November 2023. So to see a collection of wines looking as good as these do it is important to consider the full story not just the wines in the glass. * MetService.com ** NIWA - National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Published: Dec 19 2024
