Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2012
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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. 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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Vintage Report
- Harvest Date(s): March 7-12
- Yields: 2.95 tons/acre
- Brix: 21.5°
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Vinification
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Whole-bunch pressed
- Fermentation: Wild yeast in French oak
- Malolactic: 100%
- Aging: Aged 11 months in French barriques (25% new, remainder up to 5 years); aged 6-8 months in tank after being removed from barrel
- Bottle Aging: 12 months
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
- Production (in cases): 1,100 cases
- Production Case Pack: 12/750ml
- Alcohol: 14%
- TA: 6.2g/L
- p H: 3.12
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Tasting Notes
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The 2012 Hunting Hill is beautifully fragrant with its lemon/lime blossom characters and lovely fruit purity. This wine shares some of the characters with the neighboring Maté’s Vineyard with its attractive floral notes and restrained elegance. The Hunting Hill vineyard has a particularly pure character that, in its youth, displays a tight and crisp palate which needs some bottle age to reveal the power and concentration that lies beneath the surface.
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Images
Reviews
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Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay – 2012 – James Suckling – 92 Points
Cool but rather funky nose from reduction, this powerful, highly structured wine lacks some charm at this point, but has many years of life ahead of it. Bold but monolithic finish. Drink or hold.
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2012 – 92 points – Wine Spectator
"Tangy lemon meringue, honey and pear flavors show an appealing buttery note, with floral and spice highlights, a delicate but refreshing acidity and silky texture. Plenty of spice and Meyer lemon notes crescendo on the finish."
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2012
The 2012 Hunting Hill is beautifully fragrant with its lemon/lime blossom characters and lovely fruit purity. This wine shares some of the characters with the neighboring Maté’s Vineyard with its attractive floral notes and restrained elegance.
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2012 – 93 points, Editors’ Choice – Wine Enthusiast
“In 2012, my favorite of the Kumeu River Chardonnays is the medium- to full-bodied, creamy-textured offering from Hunting Hill. Think streusel-topped citrus, but dry, with a long, harmonious finish.”