2022 Kumeu River Rays Road HB Chardonnay

Richard Caro

In stock

A new release of Auckland's Kumeu River sourced from a single vineyard in Hawkes Bay. With an elevated and northern aspect on limestone soils, the Rays Road vineyard produces a weighty but notably fine and expressive example from this most famous of Chardonnay regions, and most famous of Chardonnay producers. The Rays Road is a must-try for Kumeu fans.

$39.99 in mixed 6+ or $44.99 per bottle

Overview

Grape

Chardonnay

Its Origins

In 1938 Maté Brajkovich arrived in New Zealand with his parents, who settled in Kumeu and in 1944 bought a small vineyard which would later become Kumeu River wines. For a few decades Maté mostly made simple fortified and sparkling wines. It wasn't until 1982 however, when Matés son Michael took over, that the wines would really start to turn heads. Michael and his siblings began to transform the vineyard and vinification practices to more considered, traditional ways, with hand harvesting, improved drainage, judicious use of oak and only using the wild yeast present in the vineyard to bring a sharper definition of terroir into the wines. Matés vineyard is the original land bought in 1944, re-planted by Maté just before his death with low-yielding Mendoza clone Chardonnay in 1990.

What The Critics Say

Winemaker notes on current 2022 vintage

"With the 2022 vintage Rays Road produced very clean and ripe fruit from this unique site. We are now receiving significant quantities of Chardonnay from the new plantings, based on Clones 15 and 548. These allow for a much deeper and more nuanced expression of the Chardonnay variety than the existing Clone 95 plantings, but still with the zesty minerality on the palate. The result is an exciting Rays Road Chardonnay showing white flowers and lemon on the nose, with rich texture and vibrant acidity on the palate. This wine is a terrific addition to the Kumeu River range and we are now seeing the quality advance that we were expecting from this site."

94/100 Bob Campbell MW (2021 vintage)

"Tangy, refreshing wine with white peach, apple, lime/citrus, ginger/yeast lees and subtle spicy oak flavours with a thread of oyster shell/saline characters. Stylish wine from a favourable vintage."

95/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)

"This is a fuller style from Hawke’s Bay and quite different from the rest of the Kumeu range of chardonnays. Bold, ripe peaches dominate the nose and palate. The texture is impressively silky and smooth. Very fleshy and complete. Impressive. Drink or hold. Screw cap."

Stats & Food Matching

Variety	Chardonnay
Region	Hawkes Bay
Closure	Cap
Volume	750ml
Maturity	2023 - 2029

This Wine Goes Well With

Taste

Delivery & Returns

We deliver throughout New Zealand and to some locations overseas. Our deliveries are made by trusted third party carriers. For further details on prices and delivery options please go to DELIVERY INFORMATION section of our site.

If for any reason you are not entirely happy with your order or you suspect that they may be affected by a quality issue, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will remedy the problem straight away. Contact us on 0800 422 767.

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