Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay

They’re one of NZ’s most iconic wine producers on the world stage. The family are pioneers in the NZ wine industry. They produce some of the very best Chardonnay you’ll find anywhere in Aotearoa. They’re the Brajkovich family and you’ll find them in the north Auckland suburb of Kumeu. Next to a river.

Slap the words ‘White Burgundy’ on the label and you’d be paid double and then some. Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay is one of NZ’s most iconic Chardonnays and, let’s be honest, it’s bloody well priced for what’s in the bottle!

Praise comes flying in from far and wide but we think Master of Wine Lisa Perrotti-Brown, writing for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, sums it up nicely:

“If you can taste history, duty, and family pride in a glass, it’s there in the Kumeu River Chardonnays… now producing some of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays, not to mention the world’s.”

This is a wine that is highly sought after every vintage and usually sells out well before the next one is ready to roll. So we’re bloody excited to see this latest 2022 vintage hit the warehouse.

And there’s plenty to be excited about with the Brajkovich crew clearly pretty happy with how this one came out. “For us the 2022 vintage is right up there with 2021” said Michael.

He went on to say “The excellent 2022 vintage came on the heels of three others, in a magnificent chain of four superb quality harvests. The Kumeu vineyards that contribute to this wine gave us a blend of Chardonnay that is particularly ripe, peachy and not only delicious to drink. But also has the concentration and lingering complexity that we expect from this wine. This is quality Chardonnay wine of style and pedigree that we know has the capability of aging as well as any of its predecessors.”