Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay 2024 (750ML)

The Brajkovich family has made wine outside Auckland since 1944, and Kumeu River’s Coddington, overseen by Michael Brajkovich MW, comes from a 1.8-hectare vineyard a few kilometers north in Waimauku, planted in 1994 on deep, heavy clay that faces north into the sun. A dry, warm 2024 summer ripened the fruit steadily, though a cold spell at flowering cut yields by nearly 30%. Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed, the juice fermented with wild yeast in French oak from Gilet, 25% new, went through full malolactic and spent 11 months on its lees. Of the estate’s single-vineyard Chardonnays, this is the most open young: nougat, pear and golden peach on a creamy, chewy mid-palate, kept taut by persistent acidity, preserved lemon, a flinty edge and a wisp of smoky spice. Critics place its window between 2026 and 2038. Roast chicken with tarragon, pork belly or crab gratin play to its richness.