Description
"In 1990, Maté Brajkovich reworked the land and planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family purchased in March 1944. The first grapes from this vineyard were harvested in March 1993, the year following Maté's death. The resulting wine was released in November 1994 to coincide with celebrations marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Brajkovich Family's arrival at Kumeu River. The 2024 vintage for Mate’s Vineyard continues the exceptional level of quality from this 35-year-old vineyard. Mate’s Vineyard was the last vineyard we harvested in the 2024 vintage in perfect weather with the low yielding fruit in pristine condition." - Winemaker Notes
"The 2024 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay is mouthfilling and full, easily the biggest and most powerful of the single-vineyard Chardonnays in this 2024 release. "In terms of quality, 2024 is up there with the best of them: 2022, 2020, 2014..." This feels perhaps as statuesque and thrilling as the best of the Maté's so far, with intensity that explodes in every direction on the palate—length and width—with spicy top notes and a thunderous base of yellow fruit. The acidity, as usual, coils and weaves its way across the palate, lacing together the fruit and phenolics with seamless intensity. This is very good." - 95-97 Points, Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
"I will say, and maybe it’s just this vintage, that Kumeu seem to be moving toward a more pure expression of vineyard over sulphide and winemaking artifice. Preserved lemon, green olive, hazelnut, a few matchsticks, ginger, tarragon, green pear and white peach. In short, complex. It’s savoury, mealy, saline, has a certain spicy and almost white pepper character, though there’s no shortage of intensity and fruit. Lots of flint and chalk. Very long. Kind of reticent and tightly-coiled as at now, though gee, it’s a wine of presence and regal carriage. Outstanding." - 96+ Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
