KUMEU RIVER ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2022

Wine Advocate: 93 points - The 2022 Estate Chardonnay is nutty and svelte, with white peach, pastry, apricot kernel, brine and even a hint of malt biscuit through the finish. The wine has breadth and girth to it; it s not at all compact, but it s tight in texture. So, all things being equal, it s an exciting Chardonnay. This is from six different sites in the Kumeu area, with wine aging on lees in 20% new oak (just about all François Frères) for approximately 11 months. Everything goes 100% malolactic fermentation, wild primary ferment, and malolactic fermentation is a mixture of inoculation and wild. From 2024, they will not be inoculating malolactic fermentation, as the wild yeasts seem to be the most reliable, explains Michael Brajkovich. Lovely acid. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Erin Larkin