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SKU 976061
$449.40/case
$74.90/bottle
Tariffs included
Out of stock
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#15 in Top 100 Wines of New Zealand, 2024. Very steely and floral, with brightness and impressive aromas of honeysuckle, lemongrass and just a touch of cream. Medium- to full-bodied with layered and creamy phenolics that give a lovely, almost velvety texture to the wine, and then the end is so crisp and minerally. Driven at the end. Needs time to come together. This will be so complex in three to four years. Best after 2027.
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is 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.
Region
Auckland
Appellation
Kumeu
JS97pts
James Suckling
#15 in Top 100 Wines of New Zealand, 2024. Very steely and floral, with brightness and impressive aromas of honeysuckle, lemongrass and just a touch of cream. Medium- to full-bodied with layered and creamy phenolics that give a lovely, almost velvety texture to the wine, and then the end is so crisp and minerally. Driven at the end. Needs time to come together. This will be so complex in three to four years. Best after 2027.
WA94pts
Wine Advocate
The 2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay is complete; all flavor points and spice characteristics are present and accounted for, albeit restrained and even a little muted. The low-lying Maté's vineyard received plenty of rain and runoff in the 2023 rainfall, but the wine still feels fresh, vibrant and focused. There are notes of shaved fennel, white pepper, almond meal and tatami mat/straw—a decidedly white spectrum of flavor and spice. Stylistically, I usually see this wine being quite punchy, powerful and sometimes tropical. In this wet year, the wine is retrained and decidedly composed—while some may view this as being "not the Maté's style," I think it is a very good iteration of this vineyard. Time will tell, but I like it a lot. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Winery Notes
In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté’s death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family’s arrival at Kumeu River.
