Hunting Hill Chardonnay, Kumeu River 2024

The 2024 Chardonnay Hunting Hill combines concentration with an airy lightness. It curves around the mouth with a sense of surety, but it’s not at all heavy. Understated, restrained melon and pear fruit feature integrated nutty oak characters. Precise, intense and textured.

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.