2024 Kumeu River Ray’s Road Chardonnay

A stunningly tense, flinty and beautifully refined Chardonnay — Ray’s Road delivers Burgundian precision at a fraction of the price

95 Points – JamesSuckling.com

RRP $65 | Your Price $50
Mineral • Precise • Pure Kumeu Class

“A stunningly tense, flinty and beautifully refined Chardonnay — Ray’s Road delivers Burgundian precision at a fraction of the price.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance:
Pale lemon with green highlights — bright and youthful.

Aroma:
Striking aromatics of lemon peel, white peach and nectarine, layered with flinty reduction, sea spray, crushed shells and delicate florals.
There’s an unmistakable mineral edge that defines Ray’s Road.

Palate:
Tight, energetic and beautifully structured — classic Kumeu purity with Hawke’s Bay texture.
Expect flavours of:

• citrus zest and grapefruit

• white peach and almond meal

• wet stone, chalk and subtle struck match

• gentle French oak framing

The acidity is laser-focused, giving the wine exceptional line, length and drive.

Finish:
Long, saline and mineral with lingering citrus and flinty complexity.
A superbly balanced cool-climate Chardonnay.

Why Critics Love It

• 95 Points – JamesSuckling.com
  “Impressively pure and fine. A mineral, driven Chardonnay of real class.”

Kumeu River continues to cement its reputation as New Zealand’s greatest Chardonnay producer, and Ray’s Road is the label’s most mineral, Burgundian expression.

About the Vineyard

Ray’s Road is Kumeu River’s high-altitude limestone site — a rarity in New Zealand.
This soil type gives the wine its unmistakable:

• tension

• mineral backbone

• saline edge

• Burgundian precision

Made with the same meticulous care as Kumeu’s top wines, it massively overdelivers for the price.

Food Pairings

• Roast chicken with lemon & herbs

• Grilled King George whiting

• Scallops with butter & chive

• Soft cheeses and seafood pastas

Why We Love It

This is elite Chardonnay without the elite price tag — flinty, pure, precise and bursting with cool-climate energy.
If you love modern, mineral-driven Chardonnay, this is an absolute must-buy.