Puro' refers not just to the fact that this is made from 100% Sangiovese, but also that the vines represent 25 clones native to the area of Volpaia. The are grown in a small plot of the estate's south facing Casanova vineyard. Aged in 100% new French barriques, this leas with freshly ground coffee and sandalwood then reveals licorice, lavender and red cherry. The palate is sophisticated and smooth with fine svelte tannins and a racy core.

Lots of impressive red, blue and darker fruit for a nebbiolo; this is brimming with boysenberries, blueberries, violets and lavender. Medium-bodied and quite chewy for this category with pretty structure and drive. Drink now.

Opens with a pretty floral note, with apple blossom and orange zest details that are effusive, crisp and refreshing against a firm, juicy frame. Herbal and spice accents linger in the background. Drink now. 112 cases imported.

Located significantly further north than most of New Zealand's vineyards, Kumeu River's maritime influence is what helps this area remain cool. This single vineyard wine is shining in appealing salty, nutty characters that blend with pineapple, mango rind and lemon. The palate is still somewhat in its shell, however, making the oak and acidity stand out more than normal. Give this time to unravel and the fruit and honeyed characters should start to emerge. Drink 2019–2025.

The 2016 Coddington Chardonnay has an elegant white flower and lemon peel bouquet, perhaps slightly less mineral-driven than the 2017. The palate is taut and linear, displaying a little more bitter lemon than the 2017 but showing outstanding tension and mineralité toward the long finish. This has so much verve and class. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

The ripe, creamy-textured 2016 Coddington Chardonnay also boasts a crisp, tight line of pineapple and citrus that pulls the wine together and gives it depth and shape on the palate. Toasted grain and white peach notes provide much of the flesh, but there's also a silky, custardy feel on the palate, extending through the lengthy finish.

Michael Brajkovich, MW, blends this wine from six estate vineyards in Kumeu, holding to a consistently savory, structured style of chardonnay. Its flavors of nectarine, white peach and pithy lemon gained a broad and creamy texture from oak aging, while the fruit is saturated enough to remain the focus. A clean New World chardonnay with Old World elegance.

All barrel-fermented, with 20% new oak, the 2017 Estate Chardonnay is a stellar effort. Smoky, nutty hints of roasted cashews appear on the nose, adding depth and richness to notes of peach and pineapple. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's richly textured—something of a cross between creamy and sherbet-like—coming to a long, luscious finish. I don't expect it will be the longest-lived wine, but it sure is delicious.

The 2016 Estate Chardonnay has a touch more fatness on the nose than the 2017, though not quite the same degree of delineation. There is a subtle waxy/resin like note here, along with a hint of orange blossom and orange pith. The palate is well balanced with the same twist of sour lemon that marks the follow-up vintage, offering good weight in the mouth and a lovely peppery flourish on the persistent finish. Very fine, although I suspect the 2017 will have the edge in the long term. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

Still a Kiwi classic, Kumeu River's 2016 Estate Chardonnay features toasted grain aromas, ripe peach and nectarine flavors and a long, citrus-inflected finish. It's medium-bodied, with a plump, silky texture and up to a decade of aging potential.

The 2017 Hunting Hill Chardonnay has a very well-defined bouquet of lemon curd, granite, yellow flowers and just a hint of vanilla pod that derives from the François Frères barrels. The precise, detailed palate is well defined with a crisp line of acidity and a harmonious, succinct finish of lemon curd, canned apricot and citrus fruit, all infused with light ginger and minerals. This is a complex, intellectual Chardonnay with a long, bright future ahead. A fabulous Hunting Hill. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

Another fine effort from this terrific vineyard, the 2017 Hunting Hill Chardonnay delivers an array of mellow peach and melon notes, accented by delicate hints of roasted cashews. Medium to full-bodied, it's round, rich, creamy and long, almost decadent in style. Drink it over the next 6-7 years for its plush, languid fruit.

The 2016 Hunting Hill Chardonnay feels a little muted on the nose at the moment, coming across very stony with scents of a cool alpine stream. The lightly spiced palate is well balanced with a rounded entry, good depth and perhaps a little botrytis that just takes the edge off of the finish. Not bad, although I prefer the 2015 by comparison. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

The 2017 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay has a really beautiful, quixotic bouquet of apricot blossom, white peach, minerals and dandelion scents that waft temptingly from the glass. The harmonious, lightly spiced palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity and a succinct, perfectly pitched finish that offers just the right amount of sapidity. Superb. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

Always the longest lived of the Kumeu River Chards, the 2017 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay starts off smoky and flinty, marked by zesty grapefruit and lime fruit. It's medium to full-bodied yet tightly coiled, with great energy, thrust and vitality, which translate into tremendous length on the electric finish.

Maté's is usually the tightest, most linear of the KR Chards, and that's again the case. The 2016 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay is marked by smoky new oak, but there's also pineapple and grapefruit notes that create a crisp, acidic spine. Draped off of that are hints of white peaches, roasted hazelnuts and tangerine. There's an almost briny zestiness to the lingering finish that sets it apart from the winery's other single-vineyard bottlings.

From a newly acquired site in Hawke’s Bay, this has a gently waxy edge and displays a wealth of ripe melon and pears. The palate is supple and mellow, very even and elegant with effortless length. Drink now. Screw cap.

There’s a fresh, lively feel here with a very generous core of peaches and melon. Attractive depth and generous, fleshy texture. Drink now. Screw cap.

This is a very light style of Pinot made from a producer renowned for its Chardonnay. The color of cherry juice, it shows some slight reduction and some oak spice, too, on what is an otherwise fruity nose. But both the reduction and the oak add character rather than detract. The palate is lightweight with crisp, angular acidity that makes the fruit feel tart, along with chalky tannins and a lick of oak spice that dries the mouth on the finish. While refreshing, it lacks some fleshy fruit weight to soften the acidity and tannins.

The 2018 Village Pinot Noir is made entirely from Hawke's Bay fruit—no Kumeu Pinot Noir was even picked because of the rain that pelted down in that region. It's light ruby in color, with pretty floral notes alongside hints of raspberry and strawberry. Light to medium in body, it's a silky-textured, red-fruited charmer with decent length.