Cellar for up to 20 years.
Serve chilled.
Situated just north-west of Auckland, the family-run Kumeu River winery has built a solid international reputation for elegant, Burgundy-style Chardonnays. Despite the winery’s sultry northerly location, the vines are planted just 20km from the Tasman Sea and 30km from the Pacific Ocean which both help to keep summer temperatures under 30°C. This cooling effect ensures ideal conditions for creating fresh, aromatic white wines which really give their French counterparts a run for their money.
Kumeu’s Hunting Hill Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine sourced from a sloping site which tends to ripen early and contributes a distinctive stony minerality and lemon blossom aroma to the wine. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak before spending 11 months maturing in used barrels. This adds a smooth, rounded texture to the wine without overwhelming the bright lemon, pineapple and pink grapefruit essence of the varietal.
Thanks to the mouthwatering freshness and intense fruit flavours, this sophisticated Chardonnay offers significant ageing potential and will continue to develop if cellared up to 20 years. When you do decide to drink it, pair with roast chicken seasoned with herbs, lobster or strongly-flavoured cheeses to match the concentrated flavour profile of the wine.
Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2022
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Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2022
- 2022
- 750ml
- White
- 13.5%
- Chardonnay
- Chardonnay
- Kumeu River
- Auckland
- New Zealand
- Vintage: 2022
- Size: 750ml
- Type: White
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Varietal: Chardonnay
- Grapes: Chardonnay
- Winery: Kumeu River
- Region: Auckland
- Country: New Zealand
- Vintage: 2022
- Size: 750ml
- Type: White
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Varietal: Chardonnay
- Grapes: Chardonnay
- Winery: Kumeu River
- Region: Auckland
- Country: New Zealand
Situated just north-west of Auckland, the family-run Kumeu River winery has built a solid international reputation for elegant, Burgundy-style Chardonnays. Kumeu’s Hunting Hill Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine sourced from a sloping site which tends to ripen early and contributes a distinctive stony minerality and lemon blossom aroma to the wine. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak before spending 11 months maturing in used barrels. This adds a smooth, rounded texture to the wine without overwhelming the bright lemon, pineapple and pink grapefruit essence of the varietal
INCL
20%
VAT
Get 49 reward points
By making a purchase, you accumulate reward points that remain valid for a period of 80 days starting from the date they were earned. To check your current balance, you can access your account by logging in. If you have any inquiries concerning your account or any other issue, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2022
As someone who has been ordering wine online regularly (22 orders and dozens of bottles since 2022), I have long appreciated 8Wines for offering access to interesting international labels and boutique styles that aren’t always readily available locally. However, a platform's true character isn't revealed when everything goes right; it's tested when a high-value bottle arrives compromised, and that is where 8Wines falls remarkably short. Over the last few years, I’ve spent well over €3,500 with 8Wines. When you spend consistently on a platform, you expect a baseline of mutual trust, especially when purchasing premium bottles where structural integrity is everything. Unfortunately, encountering damaged or flawed bottles on two separate occasions has brought to light a rigid, customer-unfriendly claims policy. A bottle of Susana Balbo Signature Malbec arrived completely cooked and oxidized. Despite detailing the structural defects, the customer service team deflected responsibility, demanded unreasonable layers of proof, and ultimately offered reward points rather than issuing a proper refund or replacement. One year later, another bottle, this time a high-end wine - the Caymus California Cabernet Sauvignon arrived leaking in the box with visible stain traces under the capsule. Upon opening, the cork failure was undeniable, and the wine showed the distinct, flat overcooked notes of premature oxidation rather than its intended opulent fruit profile. Instead of acknowledging that cork failure and transport leakage, the 8Wines’ support team engaged in gaslighting. They attempted to lecture about the "jammy profile of the Wagner family." They argued that a leaking, stained bottle with a dry cork and premature oxidation was normal. Rather than standing behind the quality of their high-end stock, 8Wines offered a standard deflection playbook: no blame accepted, no refund given, and a small allocation of reward points thrown in as an appeasement. For a loyal customer who has spent thousands on the platform, being compensated with virtual points for a cooked, expensive wine is a disappointing resolution. Final Verdict 8Wines has an attractive catalogue and smooth shipping logistics when bottles survive the trip intact. But if you gamble on buying expensive, premium bottles here, be aware that you carry all the financial risk. If a cork fails or a bottle cooks in transit, don't expect a refund, expect a corporate email trying to convince you that flawed wine is just part of the "winemaker's style," followed by a handful of reward points to close the ticket, that if you insist upon, otherwise you will be left empty handed. Moving forward, I will reserve my purchases for everyday, lower-risk bottles, and buy any high-end, premium investments strictly from physical storefronts where visual inspection and immediate returns are actually honored.