Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay

The 2020 vintage for Mate’s Vineyard was truly remarkable. Have seen some fine wines from this vineyard in the last 30 years but 2020 is the pinnacle of what we have achieved so far. Mate’s Vineyard is always the last site we pick each year. In 2020 the grapes certainly had the distinctive Mendoza millerandage, giving many small berries along with the normal sized ones, and as a result a wonderfully concentrated palate texture and fruit richness. Although still somewhat shy on the nose, with bottle age the full palette of complex aromas and bouquet of this wonderful wine will be gradually and seductively revealed.

Critics James Suckling and Nick Stock have awarded a perfect score to 2020 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay. This is only the second New Zealand wine to receive 100/100 from JamesSuckling.com

100 points – Kumeu River Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay 2020

"We are not going to be shy about it. We just gave a perfect score to a New Zealand chardonnay – Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Mate’s Vineyard 2020. Both Contributing Editor Nick Stock and I have been saying for years that chardonnay from New Zealand is amazing, and the perfect wine has
finally arrived. 

“If you can taste history, duty, and family pride in a glass, it’s there in the Kumeu River Chardonnays...now producing some of New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnays, not to mention the world’s.”

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, M.W./Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate