Kumeu River Chardonnay Mates Vineyard 2009

Winery: Kumeu River

Varietal: Chardonnay

There are few white wine grape varietals as famous or widely appreciated as the Chardonnay, and with good reason. This highly flexible and adaptable grape quickly became a favorite of wineries due to its fairly neutral character. This neutrality allows the wineries to really show off what they are capable of doing, by allowing features of their terroir or aging process to come forward in the bottle. As well as this, most high quality wineries which produce Chardonnay wines take great efforts to induce what is known as malolactic fermentation, which is the conversion of tart malic acids in the grapes to creamy, buttery lactic acids associated with fine Chardonnay. Whilst the popularity of Chardonnay wines has fluctuated quite a considerable amount over the past few decades, it seems the grape varietal allows enough experimentation and versatility for it always to make a successful comeback.

Country: New Zealand

New Zealand has consistently impressed over the past few decades, with many proclaiming this southern country as being the 'pearl' of the New World wine locations. One of the key attributes of New Zealand wines is their wonderful fruit-forward flavors, which make them a favorite with newcomers to wine, as they manage to be deliciously drinkable without posing many challenges. That isn't to say there is little complexity or interesting features to their wines, as one can easily discover through the fantastic range of wines available – from smoky and mineral rich Sauvignon Blancs, to juicy and plummy Pinot Noirs and the beautiful Bordeaux style wines sourced from the excellent Auckland region. New Zealand wineries clearly have a dedication to quality alongside quantity, and such zeal and expertise is quickly helping them become established as world leaders in regards to both domestic sales and exported wines.