2021 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
30% Hawke’s Bay, 70% Kumeu, hence the appellation. 30% fermented in old barrels. Less lees contact than the other Chardonnays. Bottled October 2021. 7,000 cases made rather than the usual 10,000. Lots of intensity, more so than the 2020 tasted chez Tanners recently. Lots of chewiness – presumably because of the shrunken vintage. May taste a little less chewy next year; this seems more backward than the Estate bottling. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Chardonnay Village is a perfumed expression, offering up a floral display alongside a salty, flinty, reductive tension. It's young, compact and firm with a lees-derived savory character on the medium-length finish. While generally ready to drink on release, a larger glass or a quick decant would just allow it to stop holding its breath.