More wines available from Kumeu River
Pre-Arrival
Kumeu River Chardonnay Coddington 2013
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$71.37
This wine is produced from a vineyard owned by Tim and Angela Coddington, whose grapes have contributed to the blend...
Pre-Arrival
Kumeu River Chardonnay Coddington 2014
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$64.13
This wine is produced from a vineyard owned by Tim and Angela Coddington, whose grapes have contributed to the blend...
Pre-Arrival
Kumeu River Chardonnay Coddington 2015
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$60.48
Deep and rich candied-citrus nose with hints of hazelnuts and fresh herbs. Serious richness and concentration, yet so...
Pre-Arrival
Kumeu River Chardonnay Coddington 2018
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$44.15
This wine is produced from a vineyard owned by Tim and Angela Coddington, whose grapes have contributed to the blend...
Pre-Arrival
Kumeu River Chardonnay Coddington 2020
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$44.62
This wine is produced from a vineyard owned by Tim and Angela Coddington, whose grapes have contributed to the blend...
More Details
Winery
Kumeu River
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Country: New Zealand
As with nearby Australia, New Zealand has over the past century proven itself to be a superb location for producing high quality wines in vast amounts, with much of the cooler regions of both islands being used primarily for vine cultivation. New Zealand wineries are notable for their enthusiasm in regards to experimentation, and for utilizing modern technologies and methods to make the most of the imported grape varietals which flourish in the rich, fertile soils and oceanic climate. In recent years, it has been the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines which have gained the most attention, as a result of their smoky character and ability to carry the mineral rich nature of the terroir they grow in. Changing consumer interests have brought about a considerable rise in the production of organic and sustainable wines in New Zealand, of which again, the Sauvignon Blanc varietals are leading the way in regards to excellence, flavor and overall character.