“Bright and sleek, with zippy lime and grapefruit coursing through the pear and pineapple fruit, lingering on the expressive finish with finesse.”

“Bright, tangy and elegant, this vibrant wine has grapefruit and pineapple flavors at the fore, picking up apple and spice as the finish lingers effortlessly.”

“Silky in texture and lively in flavor, offering pretty pear and floral flavors. Hints at lime on the lingering finish.”

“Soft and spicy, with pretty peach and grapefruit flavors on a modest scale, lingering nicely on the bright, sweet-and-sour finish.”

“Lush, ripe and dense with rich fruit and a core of bright acidity; bracing, racy and pure with lovely balance and a long finish; one of four stunning Chards from this important Kiwi winery.”

“The 2007 Village Chardonnay is Kumeu’s entry-level wine: crisp, lively and citrus on the nose, vivaciously and vibrant on the palate. Its quality would embarrass a lot of its compatriot flagship Chardonnays! “

“The 2007 Estate Chardonnay has a wonderful nose that has you instantly hooked, capturing the essence of a Meursault with hints of roasted almonds and smoke. The palate is very well balanced, very clean on the entry but building nicely to a weighty, honeyed middle with touches of almond, hazelnut, lemon and spice with great persistency on the finish.”

“Streamlined and subtle, with fine-grained intensity to the pear, lemon blossom, orange curd and soya flavors. mineral nuances and nicely integrated oak tones fold into the finish.

“Tightly wound, with an impressive core of intensity to tangy lemon, nectarine and crushed stone flavors.”

“This is ripe and focused, with distinct pineapple character at the core, riding over a tight, mouthwatering frame that lets the mineral-accented fruit hover beautifully on the long finish.”

“A clean, apple-scented chardonnay, this has intriguing herbal notes of mint and clove. It’s round and complete, with acidity to keep the finish juicy. For a light fish stew.”

“Taut, focused and packed with mineral-accented quince, pineapple and iron aromas and flavors, losing no momentum as this speeds into the long, graceful finish.”

“Starts off with subtle toasted-almond aromas, quickly bolstered by ripe peach and melon scents. But despite the ripe aromas, the flavors are more citrusy, with pineapple and lime leading the parade. It’s medium-bodied, with a long, citrusy finish.”

“The 2006 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay is the tightest and least evolved of KR’s 2006s, showing slightly nutty, toasted-grain notes upfront, followed by crisp, taut flavors of pineapple and lime. Finishes long, with vibrant citrus flavors.”