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New Zealand Whites: The State of Play
New Zealand Whites: The State of Play
BY REBECCA GIBB MW | NOVEMBER 10, 2020 New Zealand Chardonnay virtuosos Kumeu River also have an interest in Hawke’s Bay since buying a vineyard in 2017 to add to its Auckland estate. Rising property prices in the country’s biggest city and urban sprawl meant expansion in Kumeu was no longer viable. Their focus on Chardonnay on the warmer North Island and early flowering meant that the Auckland fruit was safely in the winery before lockdown hit and while the 2019s have just been released, winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW suggests the best may be yet to come:“2019 was fabulous then...
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New Zealand’s White Wines Span Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and, Yes, Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand’s White Wines Span Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and, Yes, Sauvignon Blanc
By Christina Pickard Left to right: Millton 2017 Te Arai Vineyard Chenin Blanc (Gisborne), Mt. Beautiful 2018 12 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc (North Canterbury), Pyramid Valley 2016 Lion’s Tooth Chardonnay (North Canterbury) and Hans Family Estate 2017 Pinot Gris (Marlborough) / Photo by Tom Arena It’s no wonder that New Zealand excels when it comes to white wine. The narrow islands’ remote location at the southwest edge of the Pacific Ocean means that none of its wine regions is farther than a few hours from the coast. Combine the intense maritime influence with long hours of sunshine, crisp nights and some...
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Beyond Sauvignon Blanc: 11 Other New Zealand Wines You Should Know
Beyond Sauvignon Blanc: 11 Other New Zealand Wines You Should Know
There’s more to the country than its best-known grape. Written by Courtney Schiessl Published 08/04/20 Pin Share Email Image:Liquor.com / Laura Sant It’s no secret that New Zealand makes delicious wine. Although it produces just 1% of the world’s wine, it’s a safe bet that New Zealand sauvignon blanc can be found on the shelves of just about any wine shop in the U.S. This zingy, citrusy, herbaceous white wine put New Zealand on the map, and it’s one of the reasons that American wine lovers know the sauvignon blanc grape by name. But despite the fact that this grape...
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Newsweek: Fall Equinox Means Red Wine Season: 9 Bottles to Celebrate the Official End of Summer – Featuring Kumeu River
Newsweek: Fall Equinox Means Red Wine Season: 9 Bottles to Celebrate the Official End of Summer – Featuring Kumeu River
Read the original article by Janice Williams at newsweek.com "Fall equinox may be the official end of summer, but the seasonal entry marks yet an even more special time—the start of red wine season. If you enjoy all varieties of wine as much as I do, then you've likely had a sip of Pinot Noir and Cabernet on even the hottest of days during the summer. Nothing, however, brings out the beauty of the colorful changing of leaves or the crispy cool weather conditions quite like red wine. Not to mention the many at-home chefs who will finally break out...
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Vinous: To Paint a Picture: Kumeu River Chardonnay 2006-2017 (Neal Martin)
Vinous: To Paint a Picture: Kumeu River Chardonnay 2006-2017 (Neal Martin)
"You are left scratching your head as to why Kumeu River is not uttered in the same breath as Leflaive, Ramonet or Marcassin" On the heels of last years UK vertical tasting covering each of the Kumeu River Chardonnay's from 2006 through 2017, Vinous's Neal Martin has published an extraordinary piece focused on the history of the property and a detailed look at each of the wines. This is an amazing article. We'll leave you with a few key quotes but we highly recommend you head over to Vinous and read it in its entirety. "Amongst the very best...
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James Suckling: Top of the World: The Consistently Stunning Kumeu River Chardonnays
James Suckling: Top of the World: The Consistently Stunning Kumeu River Chardonnays
The eye-opening results of last months vertical tasting of all vintages of the Kumeu River Chardonnays dating back to 2006 continues this week with a report from James Suckling where he calls the event "a remarkable demonstration of the consistent high quality and striking cool-climate style of this producer. That Kumeu River produces some of the world’s best chardonnays won’t come as a surprise to their loyal followers around the world..." Suckling rates a total of 48 wines from this event, all of which rate above 90 points, many above 95 points and some even reaching 97 and 98 points....
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Jancis Robinson: Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical bonanza
Jancis Robinson: Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical bonanza
"...the blue-chip US importer Wilson Daniels picked up Kumeu River as long ago as 1988." In an October 10th post Jancis Robinson reports on the impressive results of her recent vertical tasting of Kumeu River Chardonnay's ranging from 2006 through 2017. Below are a few key excerpts and you can view the aritcle in it's entirety via this link. "Do we need white burgundy? This thought went through my head at the end of an amazing, and impressively consistent, tasting of 48 Chardonnays from Kumeu River in New Zealand last month. Do we need white burgundy? This thought went through...
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Vinolent: Kumeu River Chardonnay
Vinolent: Kumeu River Chardonnay
"Ordinarily, your chances of seeing me at a tasting of 48 white wines from the same producer would be somewhere between none and next to none. But this was a bit different. I have followed Kumeu for more than a decade, ever since I read somewhere about a bloke called Stephen Browett slipping this New Zealand Chardonnay into blind tastings of serious white Burgundy and the wine always holding its own and, moreover, frequently giving Batards, Chevaliers and Corton-Charlemagnes the tasting equivalent of a good kicking. So, whilst the thought of four flights of twelve wines (2006-2017 inclusive of the...
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The Great Blind Chardonnay Challenge 2018 – New World Chardonnay Giving Burgundy a Run For Its Money…
The Great Blind Chardonnay Challenge 2018 – New World Chardonnay Giving Burgundy a Run For Its Money…
"Chardonnay is often called the chameleon of grape varieties, adapting itself to its environment and terroir with impressive ease. Yet for almost all Chardonnay producers around the globe white Burgundy Chardonnay remains the zenith of quality and expression for this variety and understandably so when the region boasts iconic appellations like Chevalier Montrachet and Le Montrachet Grand Cru."
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Reviewers’ Ultimate Wine Cellar Collection
Reviewers’ Ultimate Wine Cellar Collection
"Now and again every collector—or wine lover, in general—daydreams about stocking his or her wine collection up with the very best of the best. (And we can't blame you!) But with the countless selection of fine wines out there, what would you choose for your treasure trove? "We asked some of our reviewers how they would curate such a fantasy—after all, if you're going to tackle such a feat, you may as well take a tip from the expert. Here’s what they had to say: "And from New Zealand: Kumeu River Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu. Even in a country that's relatively...
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