($45, Wilson Daniels): I admit it — I am an unabashed fan of Kumeu River’s Chardonnays, which I think are the best overall coming out of New Zealand.  Surprisingly, they’re in Auckland — the wine region, not the city — one of the country’s smallest wine areas, responsible for a whopping 0.2 percent of the country’s wine production, and most of that is red.  It’s as though Domaine Leflaive was producing their wines in an unknown tiny appellation in France instead of Burgundy.  Kumeu River makes a stunning array of Chardonnay.  This one, from one of their vineyards, is more linear than opulent, with lots of lemon-lime character.  It’s a racy, vibrant style of Chardonnay with lots of character and electricity, somewhat reminiscent of a fine Chablis.  It screams for seafood.
93 Michael Apstein Aug 19, 2014