2024 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill

Full screwcapped bottle 1,343 g. From a 3.37-ha vineyard planted in 2001. Hand-harvested, whole-bunch pressed before 100% spontaneous barrel ferment in French oak with 100% malo (25% new French oak, all François Frères and tight grained). 11 months’ ageing in barrel. Virus-free, so it’s always the earliest to be picked. They pulled out their Hunting Hill Pinot because it had leafroll virus and they were afraid it would spread. Harvest from end February to mid March for Coddington or Matés. Doesn’t face due north like the others and has an iron pan one foot below the surface. Lees contain spray residue so if you don’t rack you will accentuate reduction – struck match – according to Michael B. They retain just 1% lees. 250–300 NTU turbidity cf 450 at other producers.  Bright mid-straw colour. Really flirtatious, really lean and fresh. Just a joy already! Real concentration and raciness. Sophisticated. Accessible but will obviously be long-lived. Super-clean. Neat and persistent. Super! (JR)

The 2024 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the ripest in alcohol of the 2024 releases, and it feels powerfully layered and driven on the palate. This is rich, almost thunderous in its positioning, with salted citrus and exotic spices (star anise/fennel/scraped vanilla pod). The oak here is polished and elegant, smoothing down any stray, loose hairs. The barrels have been air dried for three years and lightly toasted. The finish is tight and focused. This was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling.