Chardonnay
75cl * 14% ABV * Auckland, New Zealand
Founded by the Brajkovich family in 1944, Kumeu River is one of the first wineries in Auckland. Their village Chardonnay is a perfect blend of fruit from their vineyards in Hawkes Bay and Kumeu. According to Paul Brajkovich, “this is a wine where we always have a bottle in the fridge. It is the perfect aperitif Chardonnay and palate cleanser – and pairs so well with seafood. At Hawkes Bay we have lots of limestone in the soils, which brings minerality and lightness of step to this wine.”
The 2024 vintage has lovely white peach and lemon aromas, with freshness and minerality carrying through to the finish. A great value wine from an iconic estate.
'The 2024 Village Chardonnay had just been freshly bottled when I tasted it at the estate in Kumeu in March 2025. The other 2024 Chardonnays were tasted as tank samples prior to filtration and bottling soon. The wine leads with yellow citrus and crushed shells. It is texturally fine, sleek and tightly coiled around a core of salty acidity. It is complex but composed and very good. "2024 was a fantastic year, just very small," says Paul Brajkovich. "Weather during flowering wasn`t good in spring in 2023," says Michael Brajkovich. "Ripening in 2024 was excellent, so we have a 40% down in yield but very high quality. The Village wine is a blend of Kumeu and Hawke`s Bay [and is] a mixture of barrel and tank fermentation.' 92pts, Robert Parker