Hunting Hill Chardonnay

In September we had the privilege of hosting a tasting of every single vintage of Kumeu River’s Hunting Hill Chardonnay bottled to date: twenty wines from 2006-2025.  A tasting which Jancis Robinson MW writes: “demonstrated that they are virtually invincible (even the 2006 was undimmed) and, thanks to the screwcaps adopted very early on by winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW, have never suffered from premature oxidation or cork taint. The contrast with white burgundy was stark.”

Jancis scores every vintage of Hunting Hill between 16.5 and 18.5 out of 20. The latest vintage, 2025, scored 17.5++, with 2022, 2021, 2017 and 2015 all scoring 18. The 2020 was at 18.5, whilst the very first vintage, now twenty years old and a testament to the wines ability to age, scores 17.5: “Still vibrant and lively”.

Hunting Hill has always been the office favourite of the single vineyard Kumeu River wines. We think of it as New Zealand's take on Puligny Montrachet and it will invariably embarrass some of the Côte d’Or’s grandest names. You can read Thomas Parker MW's write up of the tasting HERE.