KUMEU RIVER

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 Mate's Vineyard, it has always contributed lovely ripe and rich fruit to the Estate Chardonnay. Hunting Hill was replanted in 2001 and is now even better than before, giving beautifully ripe fruit with a distinctive mealy minerality. The 2024 vintage is a fantastic one for Hunting Hill. Even though the yields were low, the fruit was pristine and beautifully ripe. The aroma of 2024 Hunting Hill is quite reticent in its youth, but you can get glimpses of the typical lemon/lime blossom fragrance and a touch of flintiness. The palate is concentrated and long showing the density of the low yield. This is a fabulous Hunting Hill that will show its best with 7-8 years of bottle age. Winemaker's notes (Sept 2025)

The 2024 Hunting Hill Chardonnay is the ripest in alcohol of the 2024 releases, and it feels powerfully layered and driven on the palate. This is rich, almost thunderous in its positioning, with salted citrus and exotic spices (star anise/fennel/scraped vanilla pod). The oak here is polished and elegant, smoothing down any stray, loose hairs. The barrels have been air dried for three years and lightly toasted. The finish is tight and focused. This was tasted as a tank sample prior to filtration and bottling. Drinking range: 2025 - 2039 Rating: 93-95 Erin Larkin, www.RobertParker.com (Jun 2025)