2004 Kumeu River Estate Bottled Chardonnay

This was the white wine we served with the "debate watching" dinner last night.

A very intriguing Chardonnay from Kumeu River Wines, about 20 km northwest of Auckland City on the North Island of New Zealand. The winery was established in 1944 shortly after Mick and Katé Brajkovich and their son Maté migrated from Yugoslavia (there are those Croatian winemakers again).

The beautiful peach and hazelnut aromas along with the silky textural richness are distinct characteristics of this wine. U.S. wine critics love the Kumeu River Chardonnays. They taste a lot like a French Chablis and nothing like an oaky California Chardonnay.

Like many wines from New Zealand, this wine had a screw cap, unusual for a Chardonnay.