($48, Wilson Daniels): Kumeu River’s Maté Vineyard Chardonnay, named for the patriarch of the family, is always their boldest and most complexity offering.  The 2012 fits that description.  Although richer and bigger than the winery’s other Chardonnays, it remains perfectly balanced without sacrificing any freshness or verve.  Indeed, it’s a weighty wine, yet not heavy or oversized.  With air, slightly smoky or flinty notes emerge and marry nicely with citrus notes.  The spice of oak, apparent when first poured, becomes seamlessly integrated with a half hour of air.  Like other great wines, it grandeur blossoms in the glass. Unlike Kumeu River’s Hunting Hill or Coddignton Chardonnay, I’d give this one a year or two in the cellar.  If you can’t wait, open it an hour in advance and savor it during a meal.
95 Michael Apstein Jul 28, 2015