2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay is complete; all flavor points and spice characteristics are present and accounted for, albeit restrained and even a little muted. The low-lying Maté's vineyard received plenty of rain and runoff in the 2023 rainfall, but the wine still feels fresh, vibrant and focused. There are notes of shaved fennel, white pepper, almond meal and tatami mat/straw—a decidedly white spectrum of flavor and spice. Stylistically, I usually see this wine being quite punchy, powerful and sometimes tropical. In this wet year, the wine is retrained and decidedly composed—while some may view this as being "not the Maté's style," I think it is a very good iteration of this vineyard. Time will tell, but I like it a lot. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A 2.49-ha vineyard planted in 1990 with Mendoza clone. There is some leafroll which delays ripening a little. Hand-picked. Whole-bunch pressed. Spontaneous fermentation. 100% barrel-fermented in used French oak. 100% malo and 11 months’ maturation in barrel. Bigger in dimension than the others. Sweeter on the initial impression and then it tightens up. Less obviously rich than some previous vintages, presumably because of the wetter vintage. Still quite closed but with great density and a savoury finish. You can almost taste little particles in it! Should last extremely well. (JR)
Despite the challenging vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard shows its attractively chewy, textural personality, richer concentration and length. The wine is certainly ripe despite only hitting 12.5% alcohol, with a buzzy acidity enveloped by a wine that is surprisingly succulent and satisfying despite the season. Perhaps I ought not to be surprised. It is Kumeu River's Maté's, after all.