Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2021

$24.99 / $21.99 6+ bottles (6saves3)

It is hard to find a chardonnay this good under $20. A classic set of aromas and flavors with good complexity keep the involved drinker happy and the casual drinker stoked.  40% fermented in old French oak barriques, and the remaining 60% in stainless steel tanks.  There is very little oak influence on either the nose or palate. Vibrant fruits like green apple, lime and lemon mesh with a mineral-flinty edginess with hints of white necatrine and white peach.

Vinous
The 2021 Chardonnay Village is a perfumed expression, offering up a floral display alongside a salty, flinty, reductive tension. It's young, compact and firm with a lees-derived savory character on the medium-length finish. While generally ready to drink on release, a larger glass or a quick decant would just allow it to stop holding its breath.