Stonyridge Larose 2021

Country: New Zealand
Region and Appellation: Waiheke Island

2021 was a fantastic growing season on Waiheke, with good fruit set, followed by a settled dry summer, but also well above average temperatures lead to the earliest ever veraison and subsequent picking across all varieties.

Wow! This wine is inky! Visually and organoleptically. Massive amplitude on the nose, with dark brooding aromas of black currant, blackberry compote, and dark plum, followed by cocoa, cedar, and a hint of savoury spice. At this young age it’s already very forward and open on the nose, and is a wine you can swirl and sniff for an eternity before finally putting it in your mouth. When you do, the sweetness of the fruit across the mid-palate is what first strikes you, then the massive concentration and ripe, firm structure frame the fruit explosion beautifully, so the wine is at once voluptuous but also poised. The 2021 is a wine that has massive cellaring potential despite its forward nature at this stage, and I would confidently say that it has at least 20 years in a prime drinking window.

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot

Dry

750mL