Kumeu River’s Estate Chardonnay has long been the calling card for New Zealand’s most celebrated Chardonnay producer - and in 2024, it’s the best it’s been in a decade. Drawn from six carefully selected vineyards around Kumeu, it’s the purest snapshot of what this region and this family can do.

The season delivered tiny yields but perfect ripening weather, giving fruit with both richness and laser-cut precision. Wild-fermented in French oak and left to rest for 11 months, it’s fragrant with white peach, grilled citrus and a gentle toastiness. The palate is layered and peachy yet charged with refreshing acidity, carrying the wine long and clean.

It’s the kind of wine that’s equally at home poured now with a roast chicken as it is resting in the cellar for five or six years. Pound for pound, this remains one of the greatest Chardonnay buys in the Southern Hemisphere.