Kumeu River
Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu
Maté's is one of Kumeu River's 4 single vineyard Chardonnays. Maté’s vineyard is located next to an old creek, and is Kumeu River’s lowest-lying vineyard and oldest vineyard site. It has a very sheltered position and faces north to the sun. Planted solely to Mendoza clone which has grapevine leafroll, leading to extremely low yields and slower ripening but a distinct character that the winery is quite fond of. A site that consistently gives intense confectionary characters to the Chardonnay, such as caramel and candied orange rind.
Vintage Factsheets
In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River.
- Region
- Kumeu
- Appellation
- Kumeu
- Varietal Composition
- Chardonnay
- Aging
- Fruit was hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeast in older French Oak barrels. After malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is then matured for 11 months in French oak.
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
Maté's Chardonnay always shows density, concentration and length. Although still somewhat shy on the nose in it's youth, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.
Decanter
96 Points
2023
"Kumeu River and Maté’s Vineyard have long been standard bearers for New Zealand Chardonnay. Even in a lighter vintage this is an impressively layered and harmonious wine, with subtle citrus, yellow peach, hazelnut and clover notes. Creamy and fine-textured, it has great focus and length. While enjoyable now, it would be a shame not to tuck this away for further pleasures to come."
— Emma Jenkins MW, 2025
Jancis Robinson
17.5 Points
2023
“Bigger in dimension than the others. Sweeter on the initial impression and then it tightens up. Less obviously rich than some previous vintages, presumably because of the wetter vintage. Still quite closed but with great density and a savoury finish. You can almost taste little particles in it! Should last extremely well.”
— Jancis Robinson, 2024
