Kumeu River 'Rays Road' Chardonnay

Rays Road is Kumeu River's only vineyard outside Kumeu, a limestone hillside in Hawke's Bay. Whole bunch pressed, fermented on its own yeasts and matured eleven months in French oak, which gives rich texture over bright acid. White flowers, lemon and a flinty edge from the limestone.

Rays Road sits at Raukawa in Hawke's Bay, on a limestone hillside 180 metres up and facing north. The vineyard is dry farmed and sits open to the weather, which Kumeu River credits for the quality of the fruit. Pascal Jolivet of Sancerre and Trinity Hill planted it in 2008, and Kumeu River bought the site outright in 2017.

The fruit is picked by hand and whole bunch pressed. Fermentation starts on indigenous yeast and runs entirely in French oak barrels. The wine goes fully through malolactic, then rests eleven months in barrel before bottling.

The Brajkovich family has been at Kumeu, northwest of Auckland, for generations and is known above all for Chardonnay. Michael Brajkovich was named a New Zealand Winegrowers Fellow in 2024. Pour it with seafood, roast chicken, pasta or a risotto.