As tastings go, a recent event featuring 20 years of Kumeu River’s Hunting Hill Chardonnay was truly exceptional. Paul Brajkovich attended the session, representing the family, while Stephen Browett, an ardent admirer of Kumeu River wines, hosted the tasting at Farr Vintners. Browett has been a fan since his first visit to Kumeu in January 1990 and has imported every vintage since 1989.
The tasting showcased every vintage of Hunting Hill, a single vineyard Chardonnay produced at Kumeu. The vineyard, established in 1981-1982, originally featured Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc. However, the Cabernet Sauvignon was quickly removed, and by 2001, the vineyard was entirely replanted to clone 15 Chardonnay due to issues with the Mendoza clone.
Interestingly, the vineyard’s topography varies significantly; it has sections facing both north and southwest, adding to the wine’s unique characteristics. The Brajkovich family acquired the land in the mid-to-late 1960s, and it began its life as farmland used for hunting rabbits, hence the vineyard’s name.
The winemaking style is straightforward yet effective. The grapes are hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, and then the juice is settled overnight before fermentation in French oak barrels, with 25% new oak used in most vintages. The wine undergoes wild yeast fermentation, 100% malolactic fermentation, and spends nearly a year in barrel before bottling.
Here are highlights from several vintages tasted:
- 2025: An outstanding vintage featuring clean, concentrated fruit with a delicate, linear profile. Score: 95/100.
- 2024: Notable for its depth and precision, with flavors of citrus and subtle tropical fruits. Score: 96/100.
- 2023: A challenging vintage due to flooding and cyclone impacts, yet it offered fresh, stony notes with a hint of pear. Score: 93/100.
- 2022: Exhibited beautiful concentration with bright lemon and subtle toasty elements. Score: 95/100.
- 2021: A frost-affected year, yet produced a bright, minerally wine with concentrated citrus flavors. Score: 96/100.
- 2020: Regarded as one of the best vintages, showing notes of toast and peach with linear acidity. Score: 97/100.
- 2019: Distinguished by its linear structure and vivid citrus flavors, displaying great generosity. Score: 96/100.
- 2018: A challenging, wet year but still managed to produce a taut, bright wine. Score: 93/100.
- 2015: Another cool, frost-impacted vintage, yet it delivered intense citrus notes with a hint of toast. Score: 96/100.
- 2014: Described as a superstar vintage with generous aromatics and great balance. Score: 95/100.
The tasting served not only as a celebration of Kumeu River’s craftsmanship but also as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the vineyard through varying climatic challenges.
For more information on Kumeu River, visit their official website: Kumeu River.
Additional insights can be found at: