Stonyridge Larose 2010: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Is Stonyridge Larose 2010, from Waiheke Island, New Zealand’s best wine ever made?

At a recent mini vertical tasting of Stonyridge Larose I may have discovered New Zealand’s best wine ever. The Stonyridge 2010 from Waiheke Island definitely ranks amongst the finest NZ wines I have had the pleasure of tasting.

Celebrating 25 years of making the Larose, there’s no better way to cement your reputation than produce your best wine. The nose sings as beautiful as  Aretha, it demands the RESPECT of all, and is no shrinking violet. The ripe blackberry, pencil shavings, tobacco leaf and hint of the finest chocolate give the consumer just a hint of the depth of character of this wine.

The palate, although very young, demonstrates the quality of this wine. Enough fine tannin to make a nun pucker, enough ripe fruit to seduce even the most ardent fan of Central Otago Pinot Noir lovers. The balance of this wine is outstanding. Great use of oak to balance all of the other components to this wine.

Stonyridge are one of the NZ wineries that use all, bar Carmenere, the permitted Bordeaux grape varieties. It’s not vey often that one gets to taste such a complete wine. And for those of you that are into organics, this wine will suit you too. For Stonyridge use only organic farming methods for the grapes grown on their estate. Sure you may find a little bit of sediment in the bottle, it is unfiltered and very rarely fined, but that only adds to the ceremony of drinking a handcrafted wine.

97 Points
5 Stars
RRP $220

14% Alcohol

Sealed under cork.

Already reviewed this wine here, but it just keeps getting better.

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Written by Jayson Bryant

Jayson’s roots in wine began when his father literally dragged him round France and injected his passion into him. From the age of 8 his family took month long holidays in France travelling through all regions and sampling their wine.
UnScrewed has reinvented the concept of wine tasting in New Zealand and along the way found a new and willing audience. In addition to encouraging straightforward wine tasting, Jayson educates viewers about the effects of regional factors (soil, sun, wind) on wine flavours, and how to buy wine.

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