July 29, 2024
The Story of Kumeu River and the Judgement of London
In the world of fine wine, the comparison between New Zealand's Kumeu River and the illustrious white Burgundies of France is both evocative and formidable. This story, known as the "Judgement of London," mirrors the legendary Judgement of Paris, where New World wines triumphed over Old World counterparts. Kumeu River, a family-owned winery from New Zealand’s Kumeu region, has been challenging the traditional hierarchy of Chardonnay excellence, earning international acclaim through blind tastings.
Back in 2015, the London event, organised by the esteemed UK wine merchant Farr Vintners, brought together wine critics, sommeliers, and industry professionals to evaluate wines purely on merit. Kumeu River’s Coddington and Hunting Hill Chardonnays competed against renowned white Burgundies from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. The results were astonishing, with Kumeu River's Chardonnays often outshining their Burgundian counterparts. Our article is based on Farr's original one, located here.
The wines were served blind in four flights (arranged by style) to a group of UK wine press, as well as Farr Vintners chairman Stephen Browett, some staff and Kumeu River’s sales and marketing director Paul Brajkovich (whose scores were not included).
Here we take a look at the exact flights of wine and how they fared:
Flight 1:
2012 Meursault Clos du Cromin - Javillier
2012 Puligny Montrachet - Sauzet
2012 Estate Chardonnay – Kumeu River
2012 Puligny Montrachet – Dom Leflaive
2012 Chassagne Montrachet – Niellon
"In flight one the comfortable winner was the Estate Chardonnay with an average score of 17.04 followed by the Sauzet in second place with 16.54."
Flight 2:
2010 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Gains - Niellon
2010 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Boudriottes - JN Gagnard
2010 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers - Fontaine-Gagnard
2010 Coddington Chardonnay – Kumeu River
2010 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot – Marquis de Laguiche
"In flight two the Coddington Chardonnay was a runaway winner with an average score of 17.42. The Fontaine Gagnard was in second place with 16.83"
Flight 3:
2009 Meursault – Domaine des Comtes Lafon
2009 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay – Kumeu River
2009 Meursault Perrieres – Bouchard Pere et Fils
2009 Meursault Narvaux –Vincent Girardin
2009 Meursault Perrieres - Joseph Drouhin
"In flight three we had a tie for first place between the Maté’s Vineyard and the Bouchard Meursault Perrieres, both scoring 17.17."
Flight 4:
2007 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru les Referts - Fichet
2007 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny – Sauzet
2007 Hunting Hill Chardonnay – Kumeu River
2007 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru – Dom Leflaive
2007 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles – Joseph Drouhin
2007 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet – Louis Carillon
"In flight four the Hunting Hill romped home with the highest average score of the entire tasting – 17.50. The Sauzet was second with 16.71."
It's evident that Kumeu River remains underrated, offering exceptional value with its high-quality wines at competitive prices. We are excited to present a couple of our favourite cuvées from Kumeu River, available in stock and ready for dispatch: