Description
Kumeu River's most mineral and saline Chardonnay, and it comes not from Kumeu at all. Ray's Road is their Hawke's Bay limestone hillside project, dry-farmed at 180 metres with a northerly aspect, producing a wine in a noticeably different register to the estate. More citrus-driven, more saline, with a fennel and flinty freshness that pushes straight through the palate.
The 2025 vintage was a remarkably dry season in Hawke's Bay. A brief burst of rain at the start of the table wine harvest was essentially all they got, with dry conditions carrying through to mid-March. The fruit came in clean and concentrated.
Handpicked and whole-bunch pressed, wild fermented in older French oak, 100% through malo, eleven months in barrel. The approach is hands-off throughout, letting the limestone do what limestone does.
Peach, green melon, lime, cedar and fennel on the nose, then bright and juicy on the palate with a savoury, saline pull and a long, tangy finish. Bolder than the estate Chardonnays, but that's the point of this wine.
94 points
"It has some peachy flavour, but pulls savoury and saline, bright and juicy acidity, sourdough in the mix, with a tangy finish of excellent length. A very good wine"
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
| Price Bracket | $41 to $50 |
| Type | White |
| Body | Full Bodied |
| Variety | Chardonnay |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Kumeu |
| Reviewed By |
The Wine Front |
| Critic Score |
94 |
| Alcohol | 13.5% |
| Size | 750ml |
| Vintage | 2025 |
| Closure | Screw Cap |
Kumeu River
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Common Questions
Delivery is free on orders of $199 or more.
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
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We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.
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No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.
Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.
What that means for you:
- One price, same for everyone — no minimum to hit to unlock the best rate
- No mixed-six gymnastics to qualify for a discount
- Our single-bottle price is typically at or below a traditional retailer's by-the-dozen rate
Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.
**And if you find it cheaper elsewhere?** Let us know. If the same wine is available at a lower price at another retailer (including at their mixed-six or by-the-dozen rate) we're happy to match it.
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