Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2014
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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. First planted in 1982, 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
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Vinification
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Whole-bunch pressed
Indigenous-yeast fermentation
100% barrel fermentation
100% malolactic fermentation
Aged 11 months in barrel
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
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Tasting Notes
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This wine has fragrant lemon/lime blossom aromas on the nose that typify the lovely perfume from fruit grown in Hunting Hill. This wine shares some of the characters with the neighbouring Mate’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. Bottle age will 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 – 2014 – James Suckling – 96 Points
Stunning nose of citrus blossom. Certainly not the most powerful or dramatic chardonnay out there, but there’s great finesse here, the fruit and oak beautifully integrated through the very long finish that's as fresh as a mountain stream. Drink or ho
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2014 – 96 points, Top 50 New Zealand Wines of 2016, #13 – jamessuckling.com
“… combination of ripeness with vibrant acid-fuelled energy … lemon zest, floral and perfumed ethereal aromas and some richer orange fruits. The palate's succulent and curvaceous … then whips into a taut, long finish. Clever wine from a great site.”
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2014 – 92 points – Wine Spectator Online
“Honeysuckle, toast and marmalade flavors come together for a rich expression of Chardonnay, but a light body and crisp acidity keep this from being too indulgent. Citrus and apple accents linger on the finish.”
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Chardonnay, Hunting Hill, Kumeu – 2014 – 92 points – Vinous
“… A high-toned gingery spice note lifts aromas of lemon, green apple, white peach and stony minerality. Rich, tactile and ripe … Nicely concentrated, juicy and long on personality. Offers great early appeal but will age.”