It's pretty cheap still in comparison to nearly all the others, though, it seems to me, and there are very few others which deliberately aim to emulate many aspects of white burgundy; which may or may not be an advantage according to one's point of view(I greatly sympathise with both).
I agree. Of the three, I also prefer the Hunting Hill. On a side note, I knew Matés and he was a true gentleman. Such a passionate proponent of NZ wines. He’d have been so proud of what his son Michael has achieved since taking over the family business.
I think most people with broad tasting experience in ANZ Chardonnay would at least put Tapanappa Tiers, Penfolds Bin A, Cullen Kevin John, Pierro, Giaconda and Leeuwin in the top tier. I certainly would, although I'm not much of a Giaconda fan personally, and I'd add Lethbridge's Allegra to the list. Granted, many of these fetch higher prices than Kumeu River's Matés or HH, which is partly why Kumeu River still offers good value IMO. (On a separate note, I do find many people prefer the HH, and I agree that it can be more elegant - especially when young - than the Matés).
I'd say there are numerous that aim to emulate the style of white Burgundy these days. I'd put Dog Point, Lethbridge Allegra, Savaterre, Holyman, Dappled, Hoddles Creek's Syberia, Tapanappa Tiers, Penfolds Bin A... in this category, though they do obviously have characteristics that also set them apart from white Burgundy too. Some of these are at the same price or cheaper than Matés.
Interesting, Cameron. Michael Brajkovich believes the 2020 to be his best so far. Might just be age?
Yes, a 2020 Chard is still incredibly young. I don't see many comments on here about 2020 Burgundies. Kumeu River wines do drink well when young but they really do need time, like most Chardonnays.
