KUMEU RIVER HUNTING HILL CHARDONNAY 2025

The Brajkovich family have carved out a reputation second to none for Chardonnay and every new release adds to that reputation.

The 2025 vintage is up there with one of the best ever for Kumeu River, however quantities are well down so our allocation is very limited. Now is your chance to access this world-class wine!

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
"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."

Winery notes (2025 Vintage)
"Hunting Hill is a vineyard that was first planted in 1982 and became a significant part of the original Kumeu River Chardonnay blend. Occupying the slope overlooking Maté’s Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2000 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive, mealy minerality.

2025 was a remarkably dry harvest season. We started with the early Sparkling Wine varieties in perfect condition on 4 February. One week later we had 17mm, just before we commenced the table wine harvest. After that, it was pretty much dry all the way through the rest of Vintage on 17 March. This year we are particularly excited about the Chardonnay wines from both regions, and especially the Single Vineyard wines which are keenly typical of their sites."

Rated Outstanding & 97/100 Cameron Douglas MS, August 2026 (2025 Vintage)
"Fabulous bouquet with a mineral centric seam – this is the 20th vintage. 2006 was the first release from 5yo vines, 25% new barrels, some new Francois Freres barrels now introduced – perhaps that's the difference. Dry, and wow! On the palate a wine of complexity and power. A completely complex wine with great length and power, freshness and style, the relationship between lees, oak and urgency of the vintage shows. Simply Outstanding."

96/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, August 2026 (2025 Vintage)
"Juiciness, gloss, but also finesse. White nectarine, oatmeal and bran, spice, a distinct aniseed note, a suggestion of rock salt with a honey and white flower perfume. It offers plenty of flavour, peach, ripe lime, something just nudging tropical fruit flavour, though not overt. It has fine acidity, a light flinty grip, and carries long and silky, with just a little chalkiness tightening up the finish. Superb."