Kumeu River
Estate Chardonnay 2017
New World
LOT 122
Kumeu River
Estate Chardonnay 2017
ZAR 1 400
About this Item
Kumeu River, just west of Auckland, is New Zealand's benchmark Chardonnay producer, run by the Brajkovich family, whose Michael Brajkovich became the country's first Master of Wine. Its hand-crafted, Burgundian-styled Chardonnays are counted among the finest made outside France. 2017 was a cooler New Zealand vintage, lending the wine real tension and freshness. Erin Larkin from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave it a rating of 93, Neal Martin from Vinous gave it 92, MaryAnn Worobiec from Wine Spectator gave it 91, and Jancis Robinson gave it 16.5 out of 20.
Provenance
The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Brice and Burnett – The Fine Wine Specialists (formerly Wine Cellar). His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Brice and Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.
For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@briceandburnett.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.
Critics Ratings
"The 2017 Estate Chardonnay is a blend of six vineyards, which are now eight years from harvest. In the mouth, the cool vintage has held this wine in good stead. It is evolving and showing tertiary fruit characters, but that's all in sync with other aspects of the wine: phenolic structure, ripe acidity, gently toasty oak. The fruit here is evolving more slowly than the riper 2019 Estate Chardonnay. I love the complexity and detail here." - Erin Larkin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Jun 2025)
"The 2017 Estate Chardonnay has a fresh, well-defined bouquet of citrus fruit complemented by subtle scents of brioche and almond. The palate is taut and crisp on the entry with a twist of sour lemon. Very saline in the mouth, not powerful but full of tension. The aforementioned saline tang lingers on the aftertaste. Superb – one of the best Estate releases in recent years. Tasted at the Kumeu River Chardonnay vertical in London." - Neal Martin, Vinous, 92/100 (Sep 2018)
"Mouthwatering lime, pear and green apple flavors are appealing for their focus and intensity. Mandarin orange notes and a dash of mango increase the fruit focus on the finish." - MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, 91/100 (Aug 2019)
"Water white. Fresh as a daisy on the nose. Very young and Chablis-like. But on the palate there is Côte d'Or richness and intensity, finishing with a strong youthful streak of lime." - Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Oct 2018)
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