Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu River 2025

The 2025 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is ripe and thunderous, with salted peach, walnuts and stewed apple notes. This is flavorsome, opulent and impressively distinct from the Maté's tasted alongside—the vineyards are a stone's throw from each other. This is nettle-y, laden with apple skins and driven by fruit intensity. The acidity remains a concentrated and powerful player on stage here, as with all the Kumeu River cuvées. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2026 - 2040

Floral and fragrant, with white blossoms and a touch of white pepper on top, joined by crushed stones and a hint of raw almond. Medium- to full-bodied and very textural, showing firmness, staying tense and vertical, with a beautiful interplay between the driving acidity and distinct minerality. Finishes stony and citrusy. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The finest and most burgundian of Kumeu River Chardonnays. From a 3.37-ha vineyard replanted in 2001. 25% new French oak. Although the acidity is more obvious in this wine than its stablemates, it always hits reaches 14% alcohol even though it is the first to be picked because the vineyard is so healthy and has no virus unlike, for example, Maté’s, which is the last to be picked because of virus.Much more restrained nose and more floral/ferny than fruity. Not exactly savoury but with very finely textured citrus juice and peel notes. Sappy, juicy, lip-smacking on the palate but high-toned on the nose. Definitely not sweet. Dry finish. Long, still-quite-chewy finish. 2028-2040.