Kumeu River, Rays Road Chardonnay, Kumeu

Colour - light green tones. Nose - Flint and subtle wood and tart pear notes. Palate - Up front there is a fresh slightly zingy/sherbert note that opens to reveal lemon and pear fruit. A delightful creamy full round mouthfeel and persistent finish that is palate cleansing. Great with food - I enjoyed it with marinated chicken salad and parsley/ black bean/ capsicum/ broccoli/ olive oil salad. Drinking well now but could definitely go longer in the cellar.

Crisp and fresh. Not a typical grapefruit heavy SB.

Consumed over two days, note from day two. Appearance: Clear, medium yellow. Nose: Clean, medium intensity with aromas of pear, papaya, flint, and acacia. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ body with a slightly creamy mouth-feel, medium intensity, 13.5% and with developing flavors of pear, papaya and saline with subtle licorice notes and a tart driven medium+ finish. (Consumed in Puerto Vallarta)

Zesty and fragrant. Lemon and lemongrass. Long finish.

A little sweet for my taste. If enjoying, please do so with an aperitif of strawberries, fruits, or even with a dessert. Not a good pairing with a main course UNLESS there is citrus involved. This wine is acidic up front, medium bodied with a fair amount of Meyer Lemon like others note along with a sweet peach and overripe pear presence. Grilled pineapple and mango. Again more on the sweeter side there. Definitely has an herbal and gritty quality …

Dry, robust and floral. Not your typical NZ over-fruited SB, but more subtle and rich.

Definitely different in composition and texture than the wines from Kumeu while retaining the house approach to the Chardonnay. A bit more energy and intensity in a leaner style, probably reflective of the cooler Hawke's Bay climate. Slightly reductive, but opens up quickly to reveal Meyer lemon, something vaguely sherbety, and orange blossom. Oak feels more subdubed and mineral texture more pronounced. Probably best with seafood and fish at this point but will love to see how this evolves.

Refreshing with floral bouquet. Little grapefruit.

Pale green. Zingy fruit with steely notes. More creamy fruit underneath . Very fresh and needs a little time to add some flesh. Very good

Crisp and citrus.

Crisp and fresh. Lemon essence.

13.5% vol Similar appearance to the Estate and Village (touch of green). Ripe soft nose, white and stone fruits - subtle and creamy. Relative to the soft and (delicate?) nose, the palate has great intensity on the attack and at the same time creamy and quite broad. Some zing, but no real nerve. Pretty intense with very good persistence. Stone fruits I suppose, but not especially 'fruity'.