KUMEU RIVER CHARDONNAY HUNTING HILL 2021

Lemon zest, bitter lime, nectarine, and a pronounced briny salinity fill the glass — a profile that traces directly to Hunting Hill's west Auckland clay soils and the cool maritime climate that edges in off the Tasman Sea. Kumeu River's Hunting Hill vineyard, planted around 20 years ago, produces a more muscular, taut Chardonnay than its more celebrated sibling Maté's Vineyard, with vines old enough now to deliver real concentration and structure. Burgundian-style winemaking — barrel fermentation and lees aging — adds texture without blunting the wine's unyielding, mineral-driven spine.