Kumeu River Kumeu River Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay 2024 750ml

The complexity and subtlety are most impressive, with honeysuckle, white flower, ripe pear, flint and vanilla bean aromas. Medium-bodied with a tight and phenolic texture and a long, tight finish. Lots of layered mouthfeel and complexity. Fantastic finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The 2024 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay is mouthfilling and full, easily the biggest and most powerful of the single-vineyard Chardonnays in this 2024 release. "In terms of quality, 2024 is up there with the best of them: 2022, 2020, 2014..." This feels perhaps as statuesque and thrilling as the best of the Maté's so far, with intensity that explodes in every direction on the palate—length and width—with spicy top notes and a thunderous base of yellow fruit. The acidity, as usual, coils and weaves its way across the palate, lacing together the fruit and phenolics with seamless intensity. This is very good.

Despite the challenging vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard shows its attractively chewy, textural personality, richer concentration and length. The wine is certainly ripe despite only hitting 12.5% alcohol, with a buzzy acidity enveloped by a wine that is surprisingly succulent and satisfying despite the season. Perhaps I ought not to be surprised. It is Kumeu River's Maté's, after all.<br/><br/>

Theres wonderful tension from the crisp acidity brewing underneath this whites fresh flavors of lemon sorbet, crunchy star fruit and Asian pear, with notes of lemon balm and freshly grated ginger, plus a thread of saline and a touch of green tea. Drink now. 100 cases imported.

A firm, robust mix of orange blossoms, grilled lemon and spiced, baked apple showcases grace notes of spices, toast, shortbread and toasted, salted hazelnut. Offers fresh acidity, with a firming finish of citrus pith. Drink now. 100 cases imported.