Kumeu's limestone hillside in Hawkes Bay has really stepped it up in just one year. It's the most overtly fruity of the range, but it always feels fresh and mineral-driven, too, as if blown through with a salty sea breeze. Notes of lemon zest, melon and orange blossom are underpinned by toffee, cream and oak spice. There's richness on the palate, but it's a different shape than some of the other Kumeu Chards. The oak is sculpted into the wine. There's beautifully tingly acidity and a long finish.
96 points, Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast (May 2023)