In need of a mate: 2004 Kumeu River Maté’s Chardonnay

With every story my nann used to tell me, it would always begin ‘back in my day’. This time its 1944 and Mick and Kate Brajkovich and their son Maté’s have just moved to the small country town of Kumeu, about 20km North West from Auckland City. Originally migrating from the far away Yugoslavia in 1938, their humble beginnings in New Zealand kicked of in the far north, digging kauri gum. After some time, enough was enough and in the early 1940’s they packed their bags and headed to Henderson in West Auckland.

The Brajkovich family had plans, big plans. Once in Henderson they worked in vineyards and orchards, counting their pennies they saved up some serious dough, and used their savings to buy a property with a small existing vineyard at Kumeu.

The adventure begins, and in 1990 Maté’s Brajkovoch decided to painstakingly rework the familys land. He back breakenly planted a new vineyard of Chardonnay vines on the site of the original vineyard that he and his family had purchased in March 1944. After three long years of waiting and thumb twiddling it came time for his first harvest in 1993. After all the hard work Maté’s had done he didn’t get to see the fruits of his labour as the first harvest as he had died the previous year.

After some tinkering in the winery the first wine was released in 1994, coisciding with celebrations that marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Brajkovich family’s arrival at Kumu River.

The 2004 vintage see the Maté’s’s’; style of Chardonnay continue. The wine originated from this defined superiour vineyard site. It is like an individual with its own personality, displaying its very own nuances and shades of aroma and flavour. The grapes were of pristine quality, like a sparkling dimond and the wine mirrors the grapes. Kumeu’s premium chardonnay ‘Maté’s’is always set apart from their standard chardonnay with its beautifully lifted sweet fruit aroma, almost like sticking your nose on a fresh pear.

Your hungry now, after reading about the Brajkivich familys hard work. So you set out to feed your self. Arriving at a cozy restaurant you decide on the shellfish and then begin to browse the wine list. You cant believe your luck they have the Kumeu River Maté’s’s Chardonnay 2004 and are certain that it will be a perfect match. You advise the waiter of your selection, the wine is slowly poured into your glass. Its like nectar, so golden yellow in hue. The fine glassware is slowly bought to your nose eager in anticipation. A beautiful lifted fruit perfume wafts from the glass and up your nasal cavity, displaying aromas of sweet fruit with a mineral background. It’s the wines time to shine, as it sloshes in your mouth its silkiness lingers on, the concentration intense, displaying fabulous peachy flavors. you hope that there is nothing stuck in your teeth as the smile its slapped on you is intense allowing all your pearly whites to shine, this is not a wine your going to forget easily.