2018 Huia Blanc de Blancs, New Zealand, Marlborough, Wine Review

This is 100% sparkling Chardonnay from New Zealand. Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. A good amount of medium to small sized bubbles. The nose peach with toast. Medium bodied. On the palate, this is concentrated and tight. It took some time to open showing peach with some yeasty notes and underlying char. Good finish. This drinks well on its own and should be very foo friendly. A nice wine with a BLT or a Veggie Burger. Drink over the next five years.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2018

Current Price:

$36.00USD

Hawke's Bay: New Zealand's Oldest Wine Region

Hawke's Bay, the oldest wine region in New Zealand, is known for its top-quality red wines and chardonnays. In fact, 30 percent of all chardonnay grapes grown in New Zealand are planted in the Hawke's Bay wine region.

Read full article

2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$30.00USD

This is the middle level bottling from this superb winery in New Zealand. Although New Zealand is not normally known for Chardonnay this wine makes spectacular bottlings especially their single vineyard offerings. Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with nice minerality and slight grapefruit. On the palate, this is clean and very lively.

2017 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

A+

Another wonderful Chardonnay from this producer in New Zealand. These are world class Chardonnays. Golden in color, clear and bright. Enticing nose of char/smoke with grapefruit and great minerality. Medium to full bodied. Sleek but muscular texture. On the palate, this is very concentrated, but unwinds in the glass. Citrus; yellow grapefruits with some lemon/lime notes but also great underlying minerality. Perfect balance. Long finish. While this could certainly use a few more years of cellaring, it is delicious now. Drink over the next twenty years. Great on its own, this will

2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$50.00USD

One of the truly GREAT Chardonnays in the world. This is very young right now, but still showed quite well. Light gold in color with a bit of a green hue, clear and bright. The nose is great with lemons, slight pineapple, and spices. Full bodied. Energetic. Great acidity. On the palate, this is crisp and delicious. Pineapple, slight vanilla and spice. Long finish. This took and hour or so to really open. It could use another five to ten years in the cellar, but no real harm opening now. Drink over the next twenty years. Great on its own but better with food. This will work w

2016 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$54.00USD

One of the great Chardonnay's anywhere! Screw capped. Light gold/green in color. Great nose with minerality, lemons, slight vanilla and a hint of pears. Medium to full bodied. Crisp and clean. Refreshing and delicious. This took maybe 30 minutes to open and then kept opening all night long. The palate had lemons, lots of minerality and a sort of "poached pears in vanilla sauce only crisper quality". Lots of depth. Long finish. This bottle is still on the young side but drinking great. It will continue to do so for another ten to twelve years. Drinks great on its own, this worke

2018 Huia Blanc de Blancs, New Zealand, Marlborough, Wine Review

Food and Wine Pairing Tool

Related Articles

Hawke's Bay: New Zealand's Oldest Wine Region

2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Estate, New Zealand, Wine Review

2017 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard, New Zealand, Wine Review

2018 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review

2016 Kumeu River Chardonnay Hunting Hill, New Zealand, Wine Review