In Bond Fine Wine. 2025 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay NZ, New Zealand Sparkling, New Zealand. White new zealand - white in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 91/100 (EL). Drinking window: 2026–2035. 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…
Jancis Robinson MW (JR) — 16.5/20 · JancisRobinson.com, 2026-09-15 · Drink 2026-2030
Some stone-fruit freshness. Nice flinty streak throughout. Really quite a presence on the palate. Kumeu River’s best Village bottling so far! Good impact. Long. I’m almost tempted to give it 17. VGV (Very good Value) Blend of 42% Kumeu fruit and 58% Hawke’s Bay, including a total of 32% of clone 95 (which no longer goes into the Rays Road bottling) from the Brajkovichs’ own Rays Road vineyard bou…
Erin Larkin (EL) — 91/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 2026-09-10 · Drink 2026 - 2035
The 2025 Village Chardonnay leads with banana and crushed cashew, musk sticks and preserved lemon. The palate is silky and full of flavor, and although not as complex or weighty as the other Chardonnay cuvées from this iconic New Zealand producer, it offers sensational intensity and value for money. This comes recommended, as usual. 13.3% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.