Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2020
"lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish..."
| Grape Blend | Chardonnay 100% |
|---|---|
| Organic | No |
| SKU | 300495 |
| ABV | 14.00% |
Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Mate's Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive mealy minerality.
We thought the 2019 vintage was exceptional but the Hunting Hill in 2020 is even better. Hunting Hill is very distinctive in its terroir typicity, with piercing lemon/lime fruit lift and florality on the nose, richness and volume in the mouth followed by lingering acidity and minerality on the finish. This is an absolute classic example of how great the Chardonnay grape can be: A beautifully powerful, yet elegant and complex wine with long term aging ability.
"Really nervy nose. Truly burgundian, if one is allowed to say this. Great fruit and great tension. Just the job and amazingly vibrant and persistent on the finish. You could drink this already but it will clearly last really well – though winemaker Michael Brajkovich is consistently cautious with his suggested drinking windows; 'will improve with bottle age for four to six years'. A hint of Puligny here." 17++/20 Janice Robinson
"Hunting Hill is now a fifty quid proposition so you have to be a fan to get in here. This is a commanding HH and it shows the restraint and also the structure that this label can summon up in the best vintages. Backward, tense and self-conscious, this will be a resounding success but you must be patient. I would be tempted to put a ‘timer’ on for eight years. While this might sound crazy, in my experience, this will be around when this wine starts to blossom. " 18/20 Matthew Jukes
"Possibly the most complete Hunting Hill Chardonnay I've tasted in youth, the 2020 provides a harmonious, melt-in-your-mouth impression. It has breadth and concentration but retains a sense of elegance on the midpalate before finishing with precision and length. Yes, there's a little bit of flint character too, but then Hunting Hill is known to be reductive; give it time. Like Forrest Gump, it runs through a finish line and keeps on going effortlessly. There's no box of chocolates here, though; it's all white nectarine, citrus, white flowers and a touch of smoked nuts." 95/100 Rebecca Gibb