Kumeu Village Chardonnay 2022, Hawkes Bay

The cheapest bottle of wine in this shop and it comes from one of the best Chardonnay producers in the southern hemisphere. Start here. The Village wines represent a level of well crafted wines at a modest price range that benefit from the care and attention shown to the Estate and Single Vineyard wines. These wines are made from sustainably grown grapes that are hand harvested, fermented using only wild yeast with extended maturation on yeast lees and bottled in our cellars in Kumeu. Suitable for all occasions and ready to drink now. This is a wine where we always have a bottle in the fridge! The perfect aperitif Chardonnay, it's a wine that pairs very well with all types of seafood. This vintage is 30% fermented in old French oak barrels and 70% in stainless steel tanks. The barrel fermentation adds richness without overwhelming oak influence, while the tank fermentation lets the vibrant fruit shine. Expect lively lime and lemon aromas, complemented by a flinty, mineral palate with notes of fig and white peach. "The first vintage of Village Chardonnay I tasted was from the 2002 vintage and it has been my "house Chardonnay" ever since". Bob Campbell - MW "Amongst the very best Chardonnay producers in the world is Kumeu River in New Zealand… And to think that you can buy an entire case of Kumeu River for the cost of a single bottle of some Grand Crus." Neal Martin "If Michael Brajkovich MW were a Burgundian rather than a New Zealander, he would be among the most celebrated white winemakers in the Côte de Beaune, right up there with the likes of Dominique Lafon, Pierre-Vves Colin Morey and Jean-Marc Roulot." - Tim Atkin MW Kumeu River have established an unshakable reputation as masters of Chardonnay, not only on the New Zealand stage but, as Neal Martin is not shy to say, on the world stage. Not only that, pricing is utterly reasonable: Jancis Robinson praises "the value offered by these pristine Chardonnays that have withstood blind comparisons with some of the best white burgundies", referencing a famous blind tasting that saw the top-flight Meursaults, Chassagnes, and Pulignys, confused with the Kumeu wines (which remain a fraction of the price).