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.

Concentrated notes of Key lime, apple and tangerine are vibrant, floral and expressive, with touches of lemon skin and lemon verbena on the juicy finish. Drink now. 900 cases made, 112 cases imported.

The 2017 Coddington Chardonnay has a fresh, well-defined bouquet with fine mineralité and hints of white flowers. This is backward and clearly needs more time. The palate is taut and fresh with a killer line of acidity, plenty of citrus fruit and orange zest and flint-like notes toward the persistent, razor-sharp finish. This is a top-notch Coddington, but be patient. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London.

Kumeu River's 2017 Coddington Chardonnay was barrel-fermented and aged in 25% new oak. Marginally tighter and more structured than the estate bottling, it offers hints of struck flint on the nose, followed by notes of wet stone, nectarine and pineapple. Medium to full-bodied, it's loud, lush and long, with hints of pencil shavings on the finish.

Fragrant, juicy and floral up front, with pretty notes of peppery white flowers that mingle with lime, white grapefruit and apple flavors, set on a crisp, linear body. Shows plenty of tension from the vibrant acidity and lingering minerality. Drink now. 500 cases imported.

When compared with the almost severe austerity of this renowned Chardonnay producer's upper-tier wines, this entry-level one is downright boisterous. Bright gold in hue, it billows melon and stone fruit with undertones of honey and sea salt. The palate crunches with crystalline acidity wrapped up in texture that is simultaneously slippery and powdery, with a long, salt-flecked finish. Drink now and over the next few years.

Within Kumeu's wide range of Chardonnays (after all, this far northern winery has carved its reputation on the variety), its estate wine is the one to go for if drinking young, although it will continue to blossom over the next five to seven years. Exceptionally food-friendly, it offers all the length and class of the upper-tier wines, but with more upfront appeal in the form of bright citrus and pear fruit, white spice and honey. Like with its brethren, the palate stars in the show with texture and acidity striking a graceful balancing act, and with oak taking a back seat.

This is Kumeu's middle-tiered Chardonnay, and it is the most approachable young, yet promises a long and happy life in the cellar. Delicate aromas of honeysuckle, citrus and butterscotch oak characters come together on the palate in a beautifully textural mouthfeel. Length, harmony and precision are all here. Drink now with food or until 2030 at least.

Coming from the oldest of Kumeu's vineyards (1990), this vintage of “Maté” is not in any hurry. It's very quiet, but is at peace with its introspection. It needs to be decanted and sipped practically at room temperature before offering up subtle pear, stone fruit, butterscotch and vanilla bean oak notes, and even then aromas are trumped by the palate, where chalk and cream share a balance beam with pristine acidity and oak that supports but is currently a little drying. There's length and laser focus, though. This just needs a patient owner. Drink 2022–2030.

This vintage of Hunting Hill, from one of New Zealand's most renowned Chardonnay producers, is, like the “Maté,” currently very young and austere. After some time warming in the glass, soft but fairly ripe melon and tropical fruit, along with buttery, vanillin oak characters emerge. Once again, the palate is the star here: Laser-sharp acidity is tempered by a slippery texture and a zing of citrus fruit. But, while the winemaking is solid with nary a hair out of place, there's little in the way of character. It's likely going to take many years before that will show. Drink 2023–2030.

Intense and mouthwatering, with a honeyed beeswax note that adds nuance to the pear, grapefruit and melon flavors on a sleek frame. Shows terrific clarity and focus. Crisp finish. Drink now through 2029. 860 cases made, 112 cases imported.

A mix of power and detail, with concentrated peach, apricot and pear flavors at the core, featuring nuances of sesame seed, white flowers, fresh ginger and lime zest set on a smooth and extremely juicy frame. Drink now. 1,100 cases made, 112 cases imported.

Tighter and more linear than usual, the 2018 Coddington Chardonnay boasts scents of pencil shavings set against a backdrop of grapefruit and pineapple. It's medium-bodied, crisp and focused, with a bright beam of acid and hints of citrus pith on the finish.

The 2018 Estate Chardonnay delivers typical toasty-mealy aromas, plus notes of tangerine, white peach and pineapple. Medium-bodied and silky in texture, it's a bit restrained at this stage of its evolution, but it should blossom within another six months or so, then drink well for up to a decade.

Almost always the most opulent of the Kumeu Chards, the 2018 Hunting Hill Chardonnay fits that description perfectly. Loaded with white peach, pineapple and even melon-like fruit, those notes are sculpted by faint suggestions of pencilly oak in a generous but focused package. It's medium to full-bodied, with a creamy mid-palate and a vibrant finish.