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Kumeu River 'Maté's Vineyard' Chardonnay, Auckland, New Zealand 2021
Kumeu River 'Maté's Vineyard' Chardonnay, Auckland, New Zealand 2021
James Suckling: "Lots of minerality with crushed stone, chalk, white grapefruit, peach stones, white apricots, wild herbs and lavender. Touch of cedar. Evolves to nutmeg and crushed almonds. Wow. It really builds on the palate, leading to a crescendo and intensity that blows your mind. Compact and phenolic, yet so agile and refined. Goes on for minutes." 99 points
Vinous: “The 2021 Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard offers greater tension and sapidity compared with how the more relaxed 2020 did upon release. It will need time in bottle to shake off the rawness of youth. It is focused, concentrated and precise. There's sophisticated use of oak, which integrates seamlessly within the package. I got a cold the day after this was first opened, and almost a week later, when my senses returned, it remained impeccable, focused and compact. Drink 2023-2035.” 97 points
Jancis Robinson MW: “Savoury nose suggests a firm backbone. Really concentrated and richer than the Hunting Hill. Long and very youthful. For the moment, it’s a coiled spring with lots to chew on on the finish. Ideally it should be drunk at 9–10 years old but I suspect most of it is hoovered up long before that. Drink now-2038.” 17++ points
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“A truly heavenly Chardonnay.” - The Australian Wine Companion, 97 points
“So good. Again!” - The Wine Advocate, 96 points
The Rocket Chardonnay has burst onto the scene (ha! ha! like a rocket, geddit?! brilliant!) since its launch (ha! ha! like a rocket, geddit?! brilliant!) in 2017. It has already become a cult wine without even trying (actually... trying to become a cult wine instantly disqualifies you from becoming one). The aromas lift off (ha! ha! like a rocket, geddit! brilliant!), displaying all manner of ineffable loveliness, best described as a continental breakfast trolley tumbling down the side of a volcano, so there’s lime marmalade, toast, warm viennoiserie, pumice stone, struck match, flint and half a grapefruit. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2032.
Press reviews:
The Australian Wine Companion: “The back label confides 'Made on earth by humans.' It is a truly heavenly Chardonnay, with impeccable balance and mouthfeel, attributes it will retain as it matures in bottle. The fruit has the whip hand, not the oak.“ 97 points
The Wine Advocate: "The 2022 Limited Release The Rocket Chardonnay is a more open-weave, raw, powerful rendition of Chardonnay than the sleek Tilbury, tasted alongside. This has crushed curry leaf in profusion, sugared pink grapefruit, apple pie, layers of preserved lemon and even a hint of loquat. There is an all-consuming galaxy of flavour and texture here. Some roasted almonds and crushed shells close the palate. So good. Again! Drink now-2035." 96 points
Decanter (previous vintage): “It’s lean, sprightly and immediately delicious. The racy front palate has fresh lemon zing and a smart savoury drawstring around the waist. Complexity unfurls as flavours gently roll without ever intruding on the lightness and bounce of the palate. It’s cleverly understated, yet highly sophisticated; a lively dancer that’s great fun to be with.” 98 points
“White Burgundy lovers should put this on their shopping list.” - Rebecca Gibb MW, 95 points
A very distinguished Chardonnay indeed and a fine partner to Novum’s beautiful Pinot Noir. It’s subtle and restrained in its aromas, less oaky than you might anticipate from a New World Chardonnay and more like an ambitious Pouilly-Fuissé, with its stylish impression of chiselled stone and shaved lemon peel, hazelnut yoghurt, oatmeal and a hint of cold white butter. It’s like a confluence between New Zealand purity and Burgundian elegance. Grapes are whole bunch pressed, settled overnight before being racked to French barriques for wild primary fermentation. The wine then spends an additional 11 months in barrel (20% new oak), where it goes through a wild malolactic fermentation, with the lees stirred on every full moon. 13% alc. Organic & biodynamic (not certified). Drink now-2027.
Press review:
Vinous: “This unshowy Chardonnay seduces you with its understated but savoury style. Full-bodied yet perfectly tied together by a fine line of acidity that pierces the rich core of fruit from its beginning to its lengthy finish. Expect subtle oak-derived nutty characters allied with oatmeal, citrus and nectarine. White Burgundy lovers should put this on their shopping list. Drink now-2025.” 95 points
Customer comments:
”Stunning!” - Mr. G.F.
“Ethereal and confident, a complex wine, alluring and demanding attention.” -The International Wine Challenge, 98 points and ‘Overall Best Chardonnay in the World’
A stunning, white-knuckle ride of a Chardonnay. Rocky mineral aromas vie with grapefruit and waxy lemons and slices of white truffle. If it were Burgundy, it would be a Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, jam-packed with tangy fruit and woody high notes, but it isn't, it's from an island 12,000 miles away in the Tasman Sea. Astonishing wine! 13.5% alc. Drink now-2036.
Press review:
The Australian Wine Companion: “It seems a gross understatement to say that Tolpuddle has been in fine form as of late, but they have knocked it out the park again with this release from the cooler '23 vintage. The palest of straw in the glass, the aromas crisp and filigreed. Citrus, white peach and nectarine cut with glorious wisps of struck match and flinty complexity. Grilled hazelnuts, deftly-judged vanillin oak, lardo, white flowers, crushed riverstone, clotted cream and sea spray. The wine envelops the imbiber; flavours precise and pure with an umami-rich, mineral cadence, dreamy texture and daubs of spiced oatmeal, grilled peaches and flint. The finish is sustained, the only thing unresolved the need for another (larger?) bottle. An outstanding Australian Chardonnay.” 98 points
International Wine Challenge: “This is both ethereal and confident, a complex wine, alluring and demanding attention. Rich yet taut, deep yet supremely elegant, offering beautifully integrated spice notes and cool fruit. Compelling and addictive.“ 98 points and ‘Overall Best Chardonnay in the World’
This a really exciting new wine from Domaine Bernard Moreau, sourced from some of the best parcels in Saint Aubin and priced very keenly for a Premier Cru white Burgundy from the small-but-perfectly-formed 2020 vintage. It has real poise and balance and a classical feel, with the fruit concentration, the acidity, the oak influence and the mineral aspect all in perfect harmony. It has everything we look for in a white Burgundy and, what’s more, it’s almost exclusive to Vin Cognito (only one other UK merchant received an allocation, as 2020 yielded such a tiny harvest). 13% alc. Drink now-2028.
Organically farmed