2023 Hunting Hill Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the most concentrated of the collection so far with the Ray's Road wine still to be tasted. This vineyard is very close to the Maté's vineyard, up on the slope overlooking the other. The wine has nuances of sun-dried kelp, scratched lemon peel, yellow peach and churned butter/almond meal richness. This is likely more in line with the vineyard expression "as we know it," with a floral lift through the finish. This is a really good wine here. It's nutty, salty and floral. 12.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
More reviews and scores
The Brajkoviches’ 3.37-ha vineyard was replanted in 2001 with clone 15. Made in the same way as Coddington and hand-picked over the Feb/Mar bridge. Whole-bunch pressed. Spontaneous fermentation. 100% barrel-fermented in used French oak. 100% malo and 11 months’ maturation in barrel. Very ‘settled’, complex nose. Savoury finish and probably the most burgundian of these Chardonnays. Lemon syrup (not sweet) impression with a light blossomy top note. Real substance and build. It certainly doesn’t seem skinny, despite the lower-than-usual alcohol and has a mineral chewiness on the finish. More elegant, and more citrus, than the Maté’s. (JR)
There's some really punchy acidity in the 2023 Chardonnay Hunting Hill. It's the coolest, breeziest of the three single vineyards at Kumeu, which is highlighted by the vintage, creating an athletic character. It displays its characteristic lemon/lime while its tight, forceful texture grips the roof of your mouth. It is not the most concentrated of Hunting Hills, but it still attains balance and restraint. No new oak was used in 2023, usually around 25%. One for the cellar, but if you must open in the coming 2-5 years, decant this wine.