Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate 2020

100% Chardonnay. Founded in 1944 by Mick Brajkovich, wife Katé, and son Maté, Kumeu River was one of the early pioneers in Auckland, New Zealand, that helped to establish its reputation as a world-class wine region. 1979 was a watershed year for Kumeu River when the Brajkovichs moved away from hybrid varieties used for the production of fortified and basic red and white wines to the now-common — but then-unusual — varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. Then in 1986, the family began making a Burgundy-influenced style of Chardonnay that featured indigenous yeasts, extended lees aging, and malolactic fermentation. The result has been a series of wines that are innovative, distinctive, and unique in both style and quality for New Zealand. Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate is drawn from six different vineyard sites in the Kumeu Region. Kumeu is particularly careful in selecting only the very best grapes from these vineyards for their Kumeu River Estate label. After native fermentation, the 2020 Chardonnay Estate was aged in French oak barrels, 20% new, for eleven months. The level of citrus fruit complexity, and the layering of aromas and flavors that these wine shows are stunning. See why Kumeu River has been one of the leading figures in New Zealand's wine scene.