Dalmatian born Maté Brajkovich was 19 when his parents; Mick and Baba Kate bought what is now the Kumeu property in 1944, originally under the San Marino name. They had landed in New Zealand in 1937 and worked on smallholdings and local vineyards until they saved enough money to buy their own property.
It became one of the first to establish Chardonnay and Pinotage. Maté died in 1992 but his widow, Melba helped to continue the growth of the business (until retiring to the Cellar Door in recent years) together with eldest son Michael (winemaking), Milan (vineyards), Paul (marketing) and sister Marijana (sales & marketing) and, not forgetting the cellarmaster Nigel Tibbits, who joined the company as a 16-year-old, 50 years ago.
Jancis Robinson OBE MW at the 30 year landmark tasting with Paul Brajkovich
It was not until 1986 that the Kumeu River name was established; Michael had over the previous few years been evolving a new range of vines, having spent time in Burgundy, and wanted to develop a Burgundian style of Chardonnay in New Zealand.
In 2015 Stephen Browett of Farr Vintners organised a benchmark blind tasting of the Kumeu Single Vineyard Chardonnays and Estate against the best Premier Cru wines from Burgundy and the Kumeu range was undefeated.
Fast forward the clock to September 2024 and a select group of acclaimed tasters were given an unique chance by New Generation Wines to try 30 Kumeu River Chardonnays back to 2002. There were four flights with two vintages in each flight.
Here are Roger Jones’s notes from the tasting, Jones also continued his marathon tasting over lunch with Paul Brajkovich, where they tried the most recent 2023 release.
There are three Single Vineyard Kumeu River Chardonnays produced: Mate’s, Hunting Hill and Coddington, together with an Estate and a Village Chardonnay. All Kumeu wines have been enclosed by Stelvin (screw cap) since 2001, having had huge issues with cork taint previously.
I appreciate that many people (especially our friends across the Channel) do not want wine comparisons between Old and New World but here we go; In lay terms the Coddington reflects Meursault, Hunting Hill Puligny and Mate’s a Grand Cru Burgundy such as Montrachet. I would urge you to invest in the Estate, which delivers pretty much perfect ‘fine Burgundy’ especially with age, and the Village Chardonnay is a dream value-for-money class act.
1st Flight – 2020 and 2019 vintages
Let the tasting commence. 30 year tasting, London, September 11, 2024
2020 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Pure, clean, focused, nutty, peach driven, long pure flavours, spiced with white cobb nuts, racy freshness, drinking so well.
2020 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Delicate perfumed nose, blossom, white peach, nutty, pineapple, gripping, pure, youthful, full of life, needs time to relax, quite boisterous but a star wine.
2020 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Pineapple, beeswax, spice and mellow buttercups, waxy. Grilled pineapple with nutty aromatics, acacia honey, evolves on the palate giving tropical notes, stunning.
2020 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Distinct Mate’s feel, buttercups, yellow flowers, and hints of guava and persimmon fruit, love the purity, focus, mineral qualities and intense, pure stone fruit. Richness and acidity in harmony.
2019 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Well balanced, fresh and focused, subtle pineapple, guava and stone fruit mingle with spice and some herbaceous notes, chalky and creamy on the long extensive finish with clean butterscotch notes uplifted with fine refreshing acidity. Incredible value on release.
2019 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Evolved, focused with a great balance, herbaceous and stone fruit, fresh vibrancy on the mid-palate this will age well, clean finish with hints of guava and pink grapefruit. Shouts out Meursault.
2019 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Wow! evolving well, bright, focused with layers and layers of outstanding stone fruit, balanced with a creamy brioche feel, fresh and focused, bountiful of flavours and vibrancy.
2019 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Love the nose on this… focused mineral on the mid-palate with clean straight purity, seamless and ageing well, notes of white Macadamia nuts, pure finish, class act, such poise.
2nd Flight – 2014 and 2013 vintages
2014 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Depth in this Estate vintage is lovely with a great, full flavour of stone fruit – not over ripe just well balanced – with that perfect acidity. Wow! this is so stylish, pure and precise… a dream.
2014 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Voluptuous, then a piercing clean flash of citrus, which leaves a brooding mineral and chalky mid-palate; the purity of the fruit and white nuts bring the wine together, plenty of freshness and focus. Class.
2014 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Pineapple and gently-baked brioche, pink grapefruit, pear William, crushed white cobb nuts, purity on the finish is pretty perfect with a hint of grip and tension, some caramelised pineapple juices giving it true excellence. ‘Puligny Montrachet’ at its best
2014 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Nutty, mineral, herbaceous, lime, guava, dried white stone fruit, toasty brioche, lime marmalade, apricots, very pure, outstanding. Pretty perfect. Holding on to my stocks of this superlative 2014.
2013 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Fresh, clean and textured, layers of classy white stone fruit with some hazelnuts, juicy spiced mid-palate with creamy notes, fresh baked croissants, droplets of white nectarines. This is drinking so well, a bargain if you had bought it on release. The freshness and ease to drink is just outstanding. Superlative.
2013 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Mouthful of spring flowers and herbs, quince, ripe pears, fresh citrus; the toasty notes are lovely and attractive, balanced by the peach notes. Medley of lovely fruits linger on the finish.
2013 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Perfumed, attractive nose, racy notes quite big juicy notes, long and lingering. Yin and Yang, fresh chalky notes. Peaches and Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream with nectarine syrup. Plenty of guts and freshness here, will last an age.
2013 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Well balanced with lots of aromatic stone fruit with fresh and rich fruit to the fore. Evolves on the palate and in the glass – pretty seamless.
3rd Flight 2010 and 2007 vintages
2010 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Nutty, bright, citrus forward, buttery, butterscotch, acacia honey, vibrant, fresh acidity, stunning for this age.
2010 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Lovely perfume, bitter notes, floral, on the palate it’s a joyful mixture of stone fruit and nutty notes with pineapple chunks.
2010 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Restrained, savoury, chalky, spiced, clean stone fruit, some ripe pear and persimmon, clean vibrant palate with lovely acidity, I love the focus and purity and grip at end. Quite outstanding with the texture, nuttiness, creamy and concentration working in harmony. Very rare with less than two cases left at the estate.
2010 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Butterscotch nose, brioche, tangerine marmalade aromas, nutty spice, peach and nectarine, fresh acidity, in perfect harmony.
2007 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
A touch closed on first taste – still fresh but not oozing with fruit – a bit more of a refined style, clean certainly, fresh, clear, evolved stone fruit, nicely balanced.
2007 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay
Glorious nose, clean, fresh, juicy stone fruit, nutty notes with clean crisp acidity, hints of Guava and nectarines, juicy ripe full mid-palate with that bright acidity and citrus carrying the wine well – fresh and focused, the toasty white almonds give it depth and character.
2007 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay
Toasted stone fruit, juicy ripe acidity, toasty notes, but also fresh ripe fruit notes, creamy and textured with an elegant restrained feel.
2007 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Spiced and herbaceous, melon and paw paw combine with ripe stone fruit, quince, vibrant and fresh, has lost some of its glow.
4th Flight – 2004 and 2002 vintages
2004 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Bright, clean, lots of energy, pineapple chunk, nutty, gorgeous, lovely balance and long lingering notes, peach juice. Includes Hunting Hill and Coddington. Great balance. Beautiful and classy.
2004 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Racy with extra acidity, a touch chunky and chewy.
2002 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
Fresh and vibrant, savoury herbaceous notes, some vegetative notes, as it opens up fresh, clean, luxurious stone fruit reveal themselves with a creamy texture.
2002 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay
Gorgeous, full, rounded, clean and focused, delicate refined fruit. Perfectly evolved and I loved the purity, focus and taut fruit.
Two sample trials of wines from 2002 placed under cork closure were shown, with two bottles opened of each, all had cork-induced faults.
2023 Kumeu River Chardonnays and other wines
These were tasted over a late lunch, after the main tasting with Paul Brajkovich and top New Zealand restaurateur Mel Brown of The Brixton Laundry.
Kumeu River Cremant NV Blanc de Blancs (disgorged July 2024, bottled 2019)
Full forward fresh citrus appeal, lemon and lime with crisp orchard fruit, rich and fresh, lemon sherbet, clean. This is a classy sparkling Chardonnay delivering flavour not fizz and is great value. Serve in a Chardonnay glass.
Kumeu River Pinot Gris Village 2023
Bright, crisp, elegant, piercing, fresh, vibrancy, some fresh peach notes, creamy and elegant crisp finish. This wine is the perfect balance between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, giving the best of both worlds.
Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2023
Nutty, pineapple, fresh vibrancy, delivers pretty much everything you want from a modern clean New World Chardonnay. Lemon and lime zest, fresh and tantalising. Barrel fermentation gives it that extra purity and depth. A total bargain.
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2023
Elegant and refined, fresh textured, classic Kumeu, pineapple, stone fruit, hint of preserved lemon, love that freshness and citrus. Not much more you want from a classic Burgundian style Chardonnay, sheer class.
Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2023
Nutty, complex, layered with clean stone fruit, evolving, brioche notes creamy, clean, pure, lush, steely, lemon peel. Small production in a difficult season, but the quality shines.
Mel Brown of the Brixton Laundry with Roger Jones
On reflection
There are few vineyards in the world that can be so consistent in quality and offer such a wide breadth of one single grape variety, farmed in an area where temperatures never go over 30°C, where it is wet and often windy and the frosts are a bugger. A true family affair that has established a unique piece in the history of wine globally, delivering a true Chardonnay Dynasty.
The 2023 Kumeu River Chardonnays are imported and sold in the UK through New Generation Wines which is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
