In Bond Fine Wine. 2024 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay NZ, New Zealand Sparkling, New Zealand. White new zealand - white in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 92/100 (RG). Drinking window: 2025–2034. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Kumeu River is one of New Zealand’s benchmark producers and has earned a worldwide reputation for Chardonnays that regularly draw comparisons with top white Burgundy. Founded by the Brajkovich family, the estate combines cool-climate vineyards with Burgundian inspired winemaking to produce wines of remarkable purity, freshness and longevity. Chardonnay is the star, from the superb value Village and Estate Chardonnay through to the single vineyard Coddington, Hunting Hill and much feted Maté’s Vineyard. The range also includes elegant, cool-climate Pinot Noir, with an emphasis throughout on balance, precision and expression of site. The 2024 vintage is a particular highlight - small in quantity but exceptional in quality, producing beautifully concentrated, fresh and balanced wines. It is one of Kumeu River’s finest recent vintages and further evidence of why the estate is regarded among…
Rebecca Gibb MW (RGM) — 92/100 · Vinous, 2026-02-01 · Drink 2026 - 2034
Is the 2024 Chardonnay Estate the best ever here? Quite possibly. It displays excellent concentration, especially considering this is "just" the estate wine. The 2024 is absolutely banging with intensity, tension and punch. There's a lot going on for your money. Expect a lightly infused brightness with scintillating citrus and integrated nutty layers and complexity. Plenty to unravel.
Erin Larkin (EL) — 90–92/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 2025-06-05 · Drink 2025-2034
The 2024 Estate Chardonnay is floral and tightly coiled, with a scratched lime backbone. It's not as complex as the Ray's Road tasted alongside, yet it's utterly composed and restrained. It is mineral and very good indeed. This was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling.