Ratings:

Product Description:

"The Mate’s Vineyard is usually the most reserved and unyielding when young with a nose that is very closed, just giving hints of the golden queen peach and mineral notes that we expect from Mate’s Vineyard. On the palate however, the flavour is very concentrated and distinctly richer than the other 2014 wines, but maintaining a perfect balance and freshness that sets this wine apart and makes it wonderful. This is a wine of immense concentration that will be very long lived.In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River. From the pioneering days to the establishment of the New Zealand wine industry to today, the Brajkovich family have been internationally recognised as producing world class wine. The Brajkovich family continue to harvest their grapes at Kumeu and refine their wine making skills. The Brajkovichs are nationally recognised as a founding family of the New Zealand wine industry, and the current generation are internationally recognised as producing world class Chardonnay. Kumeu River has some of the most qualified, experienced, and dedicated staff as a business in this industry. Michael Brajkovich, New Zealand’s first Master of Wine (MW), holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Oenology from Roseworthy College in South Australia, where he graduated top of his class. Michael is a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine in London as well as a respected wine judge in both New Zealand and Australia. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Mick and father Maté, Michael has added formal education to the pragmatism learnt from his father. As a winemaker, Michael aims to be recognised as producing world class Chardonnay. One of the defining characteristics of Kumeu River Chardonnays is they are made in the old world style of classic French wine making. Rather than having a heavy oak presence from aging in a barrel, they are lighter, more refined, and designed to age in the bottle. “The taste you should experience with my Chardonnay is light, elegant, and flinty. It will not be a big, bold, buttery oak bash. In the European tradition, I’ve designed my wines to be enjoyed at the table and to be accompanied with food of your choice." -Winery