2020 Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay

Highly Rated
One of New Zealand's finest Chardonnays. 100 Points from Nick Stock at JamesSuckling.com, only the second ever NZ wine to receive that accolade.

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Description

Maté's Chardonnay is one of the southern hemisphere's greatest wines, routinely outpointing and outperforming the famous names of Burgundy in blind tastings and shocking the old guard with how amazing New Zealand wine can be.

It's a single vineyard wine, named after Maté Brajkovich, Michael's father, and is properly pronounced 'Mattys'. The site was planted to Chardonnay in 1990 on the same spot where the family first planted vines in 1944.

100% Mendoza clone, prone to hen and chicken grape clusters that can intensity fruit flavours through exceptional small berry concentration. 100% barrel fermented and 100% malolactic, followed by 11 maturation in barrel.

Poised, pristine and tightly coiled at the moment, it will reward a decade plus in the cellar.

The 2020 vintage for Mate’s Vineyard was truly remarkable. We have seen some fine wines from this vineyard in the last 30 years but 2020 is the pinnacle of what we have achieved so far. Mate’s
Vineyard is always the last site we pick each year.


In 2020 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, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.

100 Points - "This is such impressive chardonnay in terms of power and complexity, delivering so much with such poise. Aromas of lemons and peaches intersect with lightly spicy oak and brioche on the nose. The palate drops mouth-filling flavors of peach and lemon and winds tight, before exploding long on the finish with a long, nutty afterglow. Perfect chardonnay. Drink over the next decade or more." - Nick Stock (JamesSuckling.com)

97 Points - "The Chardonnay Mate's Vineyard, appears to have gone on a yoga retreat in 2020: not only is its usual powerful self, but it's remarkably zen too, exuding a sense of calmness. It is full-bodied, round and offers fruit ripeness, but the propensity of the Mendoza clone to hen-and-chicks means that it retains a sense of nerve, with powerful citrusy acidity providing the needle that pulls a tight thread through this wine's core. The 2020 is still far too young, and it is aromatically shy, but even in its full mature glory, it won't exhibit aromatic fireworks – nor should it. This is Chardonnay. Okay, you might detect lemon and limes, white flowers and just-ripe white nectarine, with 30% new oak imbuing an additional layer of savoriness, but when it comes down to it, this wine's trump card is in its shape, texture and persistence. Drink 2023 - 2035." Rebecca Gibb MW (Vinous.com)

Kumeu River

Like so many new world wineries, Kumeu River, is an immigrant success story, hard work, and growth from generation to generation.

The Brajkovich family’s story has grown in parallel to the growth of the New Zealand wine industry in general, established the Kumeu region north of Auckland.

3rd generation winemaker Michael Brajkovich ( New Zealand’s first MW) spent a vintage in Burgundy in the early 1980’ that changed the wineries trajectory and led them to place a singular focus on producing world class Chardonnay.

This change saw them rename the winery Kumeu River (from San Marino Vineyards) and evolve to a more Burgundian style of winemaking. Since these changes, the wines of Kumeu river have been recognised as belonging to the pantheon of Chardonnay on a global scale.

The Vineyards of Kumeu River Kumeu River

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