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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu River Wine Republic

2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu River

Auckland, New Zealand

The Quiet Grandeur

Composed, deeply textured and beautifully restrained, Maté’s Vineyard reveals the quieter side of one of New Zealand’s great Chardonnays. Lemon zest, crisp apple and delicate stone fruit unfold alongside honeysuckle, fresh hazelnut and a hint of fig. A fine thread of struck flint runs beneath the fruit, while subtle toast, cream and a suggestion of fennel bring savoury complexity. The aromas gather slowly in the glass, revealing a wine whose depth becomes more compelling with each return.

The palate has a lovely sense of substance, with concentrated fruit and a creamy, almost velvety texture held in place by mouthwatering acidity. There is breadth through the middle, followed by a tightening of citrus and mineral flavours that carries the wine into a long, poised finish. More restrained than some of its richer predecessors, the 2023 retains the density and persistence that make Maté’s so distinctive. A rewarding bottle for lovers of finely balanced Chardonnay, ready to explore over a leisurely dinner or keep as its nutty, savoury layers develop.

For when: A carefully cooked dinner deserves the bottle you have been saving.

Pairs with: Roast turbot with beurre blanc, butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with tarragon cream, scallops with cauliflower purée, wild mushroom risotto, or mature Comté.

Maté’s Vineyard is both Kumeu River’s flagship Chardonnay and a tribute to Maté Brajkovich. In 1990, he replanted the site that his family had purchased in 1944, choosing the Mendoza clone of Chardonnay. Its first crop arrived in 1993, the year after his death, and the inaugural wine was released in 1994 to mark the family’s fiftieth anniversary at Kumeu. Today, the vineyard remains a particularly personal expression of the family’s history and ambition.

Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay

Notable Awards
James Suckling – 97 Points

£54.95 - £54.95
£54.95
£54.95 - £54.95
£54.95
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Kumeu River is one of New Zealand’s most respected and internationally acclaimed family-owned wineries, located just northwest of Auckland. Established in 1944 by Croatian immigrants Mick and Katé Brajkovich, Kumeu River has become synonymous with exceptional Chardonnay, crafted with Burgundian finesse and New World purity.

Now run by the second and third generations of the Brajkovich family, Kumeu River is globally recognised for producing some of the finest Chardonnay outside of Burgundy, with consistent critical acclaim from international wine critics and publications. The estate’s maritime climate, clay-rich soils, and meticulous vineyard and cellar practices, including wild yeast fermentation and barrel ageing, contribute to the depth, complexity, and age-worthiness of their wines.

The Kumeu River range spans village-level to single-vineyard bottlings, with standout cuvées such as Mate’s Vineyard earning cult status. The winery also produces excellent Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, though Chardonnay remains its defining focus and claim to fame.

Made from 100% Chardonnay, entirely Mendoza clone, from Maté’s Vineyard. Planted in 1990, the vines were approximately 33 years old at harvest. Grapes were hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed before fermentation with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation.

Maturation lasted 11 months in French oak. No new oak was used for the 2023 vintage, although a substantial proportion of one- and two-year-old barrels provided subtle oak influence. The wine is sealed under screwcap.

The 2023 season brought exceptional rainfall to Kumeu, including flooding in January and further rain before harvest. Careful selection was particularly important, and the resulting wines were lighter in texture than the preceding four vintages. Maté’s nevertheless retained its characteristic concentration, with the season lending a fresher, more restrained profile.

Alcohol: 12.5%. Vegan. Recommended drinking window: 2026–2038.

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