Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2024

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.