Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay 2024

An heirloom vineyard reaches full voice. In 1990 Maté Brajkovich renewed the plot at Kumeu River, replanting Chardonnay on land first acquired by his family in 1944. That revival bore fruit in 1993, just after Maté’s passing, and the first wine under that vineyard’s name appeared in late 1994. The 2024 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay arrives from vines now more than 30 years old, and stands as one of the strongest releases yet from this flagbearer of New Zealand Chardonnay. The fruit was hand‑harvested last, under clean skies, from a low‑yield year; the grapes were pristine. Winemaking followed the estate’s signature path: whole‑bunch pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation, barrel ageing (around 30% new French oak) for 11 months, followed by full malolactic conversion.