A thrilling chardonnay from New Zealand

2012 Kumeu River, Estate Chardonnay, Kumeu, North Island, New Zealand(£140 in bond per case of 12 bottles, £16.46 incl. VAT per bottle, Farr Vintners, 020-7821 2000, arrvintners.com).

I attended a very special tasting of chardonnays from the most famous producer of this grape in New Zealand at Farr Vintners' HQ the other day. Chairman Stephen Browett explained that he had been shipping wines from the Brajkovich family for decades and that, for him, they are some of the world's greatest white wines.I have been buying and recommending these wines since day one, too, but I have never tasted old bottles nor have I pitted them against great Burgundies.

After four flights of blind wines, each including very expensive and highly rated white Burgundies, with a Kumeu chardonnay hiding among the pack, the scores, from the great and the good of the industry, were collated.

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The Kumeu chardonnays won three out of four flights. My featured wine trumped four of the biggest names in the world! Finely balanced, elegant and built on a base of acidity, the chardonnays made at Kumeu River are all thrilling. Some very old bottles poured by owner Paul Brajkovich proved that they age well, too. I can highly recommend these wines with 2012 Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay (£220ib) and my featured Estate cuve.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.