Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Kumeu – 2019
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Vineyard Profile
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In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land at Kumeu River and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay on the site of the family’s original vineyard, purchased in 1944. The first harvest from these new vines was in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The vineyard was named Maté’s Vineyard in his honor, and the resulting single-vineyard wine was first released in November 1994 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Brajkovich family’s arrival in Kumeu.
- Location: Kumeu, Auckland
- Cultivation: Sustainable
- Size: 2.49 hectares (6 acres)
- Vine Age: Planted 1990
- Clones: Mendoza
- Soil: Clay loam
- Elevation: 45 meters (147 feet)
- Exposure: North facing
- Training: Lyre
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Vintage Report
- Yields: 4.0 tons/acre
- Brix: 22.5°
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Vinification
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Hand harvested
Whole-bunch pressed
Indigenous-yeast fermentation
French oak barrels, 30% new oak
100% barrel fermentation
100% malolactic fermentation
11 months maturation in barrel
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
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Tasting Notes
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The 2019 vintage was exceptional and produced sensational Chardonnay across all our vineyards. Maté’s Vineyard is always the last site we pick each year. In 2019 the grapes certainly had the distinctive Mendoza millerandage, giving many small berries along with the normal sized ones, and as a result a wonderfully concentrated palate texture and fruit richness. Although still somewhat shy on the nose coming out of the barrel, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.
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Images
Reviews
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Kumeu River Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Kumeu — 2019 – Wine Enthusiast – 93 Points
This wine opens with heady aromas of grapefruit, lemon, and peach, backed by coconut-and-vanilla oak and salted-nut characteristics. The generous palate is creamy and toasty but it never loses the precision or fruit purity. Long, layered, and fresh, this wine could be drunk now but will play its best hand in the years to come.
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Kumeu River Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Kumeu — 2019 – Wine Advocate – 96 Points
Scents of hazelnut, mocha and lime-custard crème brûlée appear on the nose of the 2019 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay. Complex and compelling, it's undoubtedly one of Kumeu River's top recent efforts. Medium to full-bodied, plump and generous on the palate, yet marked by zesty acids and a bright, citrusy finish, it's wonderfully balanced and drinkable now, yet it should age effortlessly for at least a decade.
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Kumeu River Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Kumeu – 2019 – Wine Spectator – 93 Points
Wonderfully complex and stylish, offering toasted brioche, baked apple and poached pear notes that show details of cardamom, white flowers, matcha, with a fresh thread of acidity to amplify the intensity of flavor.
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Kumeu River Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Kumeu — 2019 – Vinous – 96 Points
Tightly coiled, this focused and athletic Chardonnay needs to be put away in a cool, dark cellar in the medium term to allow it to unwind. A little shy on the nose, presenting melon, beeswax and subtle oak-derived nutty characters, it has an excellent core of concentration. There is a fine, silken texture on the focused and layered midpalate. Produced from the Mendoza clone, which is prone to hens and chicks. Invigorating acidity provides momentum on the lengthy finish.