To Paint A Picture: Kumeu River Chardonnay 2006-2017

BY NEAL MARTIN | FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Chardonnay is the blank canvas upon which winemakers can paint whatever they want, whether it be a boring sketch or an awe-inspiring masterpiece. Covering Burgundy, I enjoy my unfair share of dazzling Chardonnay, much of it rare and costing a pretty penny. That does not mean I turn up my nose at the myriad of brilliant Chardonnays born outside the Côte d’Or, not least in South Africa and New Zealand, the two countries under my purview. The best stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the grandest labels from Burgundy, which is not meant as a poke in the eye, just an observation from experience. Amongst the very best Chardonnay producers in the world is Kumeu River in New Zealand. Their Chardonnays were put to the test a few years ago when several were assessed blind, intermixed with some very serious Puligny-Montrachets and Meursaults. Kumeu River triumphed to such an extent that it became almost embarrassing. And to think that you can buy an entire case of Kumeu River for the cost of a single bottle of some Grand Crus.

I have been following Kumeu River and its founders, the Brajkovich family, for many years, and in fact, a tasting held in 1999 formed one of the first pieces I ever wrote for the original Wine-Journal. But I had never undertaken a vertical tasting of their flagship Chardonnays, at least until UK agent Farr Vintners assembled the last 12 vintages of the Estate Chardonnay, Maté’s Vineyard, Hunting Hill and Coddington, inviting co-owner Paul Brajkovich to oversee what he described as “the most comprehensive Kumeu River tasting ever done.” Here was a chance to compare the vineyards, examine their ageing potential (under screwcap, of course) and learn more of their story.

Paul Brajkovich, pictured following the tasting in September last year.

History 

Živogošće. No, I have no clue how to pronounce it, either. This tongue-twister is in fact the Croatian town where the Brajkovich family lived until 1937, the year when Mick, Katé and their son Maté migrated to New Zealand. Having already worked farmland in Croatia, they found employment in local vineyards and orchards; then, in 1944, the family purchased land around 25km northwest of the city of Auckland. Over the next six years, Maté planted vines in what is now the vineyard named in his honour. He married another Croatian émigré, Melba Sutich, in 1957, and together they had four children: Michael, Marijana, Milan and Paul. Mick died in 1949, and so Maté and Katé ran what was then known as San Marino Vineyards, the fruit mainly destined for sherry production, since, as in Australia, the beverage industry was based around fortified wines. I remember Michael telling me once that they grew a lot of Müller-Thurgau in the 1970s that they would sell from the cellar door or to local cafés and restaurants, doubtless inspired by the popularity of German wines at that time. They would also experiment with Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot, though it was always the Chardonnay that showed potential.

The children became more involved in the running of the vineyard during the 1980s. Roseworthy-trained Michael Brajkovich worked the 1983 vintage in Bordeaux with J-P Moueix where he was in charge of Château Magdelaine under the guidance of Jean-Claude Berrouet and then visited Burgundy and became inspired by the growers that he saw such as Vincent Leflaive.