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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
2025 Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu River

2025 Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu River

Auckland, New Zealand

Blossom & Flint

Intensely fragrant and beautifully composed, Hunting Hill brings together the richness of a generous vintage and the piercing citrus precision that makes this vineyard so distinctive. Lemon and lime blossom rise above white peach and crisp apple, followed by fresh almond, subtle white pepper and a delicate herbal lift. A flicker of struck-match smokiness adds intrigue, while restrained French oak lends a gentle toasted warmth beneath the fruit.

The palate is concentrated and finely sculpted, with a supple, almost creamy centre held in place by vibrant acidity. Ripe orchard fruit unfolds into lime zest and savoury nuttiness, with a chalky texture giving the wine both grip and definition. Its richness builds gradually, carrying through to a long, stony finish that leaves the mouth refreshed. Already captivating with time in the glass, this is a Chardonnay worth putting away, allowing its youthful intensity to develop into the layered complexity that makes mature Hunting Hill so rewarding.

For when: The best glasses are on the table and the evening deserves a bottle you have been looking forward to.

Pairs with: Roast turbot with beurre blanc, lobster with tarragon butter, scallops with celeriac purée, chicken with morel cream, crab and lemon risotto, or aged Comté.

Hunting Hill occupies the slope overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, across the road from the Kumeu River winery. First planted in 1982, it originally contributed to the Estate Chardonnay before earning its own single-vineyard bottling in 2006. Its name recalls the hillside where Maté Brajkovich once hunted rabbits and pheasants for the family kitchen. 2025 marks its twentieth vintage as a standalone wine.

Warm, dry conditions made 2025 an excellent season for Kumeu River, bringing concentrated fruit and a welcome recovery in harvest volumes after two smaller vintages. Hunting Hill carries that generosity particularly well, adding depth and richness to its characteristic floral perfume and citrus drive. It is a vintage that gives the wine considerable presence while preserving the freshness essential to its long-term appeal.

Whats in the bottle
100% Chardonnay

Notable Awards
96 points, James Suckling

£55.00 - £55.00
£55.00
£55.00 - £55.00
£55.00
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Kumeu River’s story began in 1944, when the Brajkovich family, originally from Croatia, purchased a small vineyard and winery northwest of Auckland. Successive generations have built an international reputation for Chardonnay, with winemaker Michael Brajkovich central to that development. In 1989, he became New Zealand’s first Master of Wine, bringing a broad understanding of the world’s finest wines to the family’s distinctive vineyards.

Kumeu’s maritime climate moderates summer temperatures, while cloud cover encourages a long ripening season. Clay soils over sandstone retain moisture, allowing the home vineyards to grow without irrigation. Sites including Hunting Hill, Maté’s and Coddington reveal different facets of this landscape, from fragrant citrus precision to richer, more expansive fruit.

Sustainable vineyard management, hand harvesting and careful selection underpin the family’s approach. Indigenous yeast fermentation, French oak and patient maturation build texture without obscuring the fruit. The influence of white Burgundy is clear, but the wines retain a recognisable Kumeu identity through their freshness, savoury complexity and capacity to age.

Made from 100% Chardonnay grown in the 3.37-hectare Hunting Hill vineyard. The site’s heavy clay soils lie over sandstone, with a shallow iron pan adding to its distinctive soil profile. Grapes are harvested by hand and carefully selected before pressing.

Whole bunches are pressed, and the juice ferments in French oak barrels using indigenous yeasts. Full malolactic fermentation contributes to the wine’s supple texture, complementing its naturally bright acidity.

The wine matures for 11 months in French oak barrels, with 25% new oak. This measured oak influence supports the concentrated fruit, adding subtle complexity and structure. Further bottle ageing should allow its tightly drawn citrus character and richer, savoury elements to become increasingly integrated.

Alcohol: 14%. Vegan. Recommended drinking window: 2028–2040.

Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2026/27 Gold, Overall List in Cardiff