Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2013
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Vineyard Profile
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Overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, Hunting Hill is named after the hillside farmland where Maté used to hunt rabbits and pheasants for the home kitchen. First planted in 1982, it was the site of the first vines to produce Kumeu River Chardonnay in the mid-1980s, and has always contributed lovely ripe, rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. After being replanted in 2000, Hunting Hill shows beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive minerality.
- Cultivation: Sustainable
- Size: 3.07 hectares (7.6 acres)
- Vine Age: Planted 2001
- Clones: 15
- Soil: Clay loam
- Elevation: Approximately 100 meters (328 feet)
- Exposure: North-facing slope a little towards southwest
- Training: Lyre
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Vinification
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Whole-bunch pressed
- Fermentation: Indigenous yeast; 100% in barrel
- Malolactic: 100%
- Barrel Aging: 11 months
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
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Tasting Notes
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This wine has fragrant lemon/lime blossom aromas on the nose that typify the lovely perfume from fruit grown in Hunting Hill. The 2013 vintage was affected by a spring frost and the subsequent yields were approximately one-half the usual size. The summer was one of the best on record and the grapes were beautifully clean, ripe and intensely flavored, creating a wine of intense concentration and complexity that will be very long-lived.
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Images
Reviews
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Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay – 2013 – James Suckling – 95 Points
Quite a toasty nose, but with plenty of cool, herbal character and some lime zest. This is a compelling, cool-climate chardonnay that's at once sleek and racy, yet creamy and polished through the long, fine finish. Drink or hold.
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2013 – 93 points – Wine Spectator
"Intense and focused, with plenty of toasted herb and cedar notes providing an aromatic lift to the core of marmalade, pear, spice and honeysuckle shadings. Finishes with bright, refreshing acidity..."
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2013 – 92+ points – Vinous
“… Subtle, vibrant aromas of citrus blossom, white peach, flowers and spices, plus hints of lemon oil and white pepper. Rich, spicy and seamless; wonderfully concentrated, vibrant, suave wine with outstanding youthful energy and harmonious acidity…”
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2013 – 93 points – The Tasting Panel
"Deep and luscious with smooth texture and dense minerals; tangy, crisp and long; citrus and supple texture."