2006 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay

By Jono • July 14, 2008

Region: New Zealand - Kumeu - 20km north west of Auckland

Alcohol: 13%

Blokes Notes: We had heard alot about Kumeu River but never had the chance to have a look at it. Ryan (my partners brother), while studying winemaking at Adelaide University, is also working at Melbourne Stree cellars, one of Adelaides most famous independent wine retailers. He came around the other night with a few nice wines, in amongst them the 2006 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay.

This is a very, very nice wine. Really nice peach and melon with just enough oak integration. This is a big Chardonnay without being big. It’s generous without being over the top, and held together with crisp acidity. Nice butterscotch flavours on the palate with great length.Â The only issue weÂ found was that it finished a little bit green.

We all loved this wine though. Influential US wine writer Robert Whitley has described the 2006 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay as “the world’s finest chardonnay for the money.”

You can purchase this wine direct from the winery here.

Categories: Blog, Blokes Notes, Wine Reveiws
Tags: Features

About the Author

Jono

Jono has been involved in the wine industry since he was quite young. His parents had a small vineyard and winery in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, and spent plenty of school holidays working in the vineyard and winery. He completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) from the University of Adelaide (formely the Roseworthy Agricultural College). He also holds a Post Graduate Degree in Business Management from Monash University. His wine industry experience include working as a winemaker for Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills under the legendary Brian Croser. He was then sent to Smithbrook in the Pemberton region of Western Australia, then owned by Petaluma. He spent 6 years at Smithbrook managing the vineyard and winery, and during that time also completed a vintage at Chateau Carsin in Bordeaux. The two years leading into 2008, he traveled the world with his partner sampling the worlds best wines, and also fulfilling his other passion of equestrian competition.