Founded in 1982 by owner and winemaker Stephen White, Stonyridge Vineyard has since become one of the most revered wineries in New Zealand.
Following Stephen’s travels across the Mediterranean, he fell in love with Bordeaux style reds and set forth to find the perfect vineyard back home in New Zealand, to grow super-premium Bordeaux style reds.
Situated on the gentle north-facing slopes of Waiheke Island, the Stonyridge Vineyard is sheltered from the cool southerly winds, providing perfect climatic conditions for ripening Bordeaux grape varietals. Having planted the vineyard with family and friends with a commitment to sustainable viticulture, the first vintage was produced in 1985. Two years later, he made the great 1987 Larose that rocketed Stonyridge to national fame, and attracted international attention – a wine hailed at the time as the greatest red wine ever made in New Zealand.
The 1993 vintage, Stonyridge made the first Bordeaux five blend in the new world. In 2000, an elite French sommelier team put Stonyridge Larose 1996 as first equal with Chateau Petrus, Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Cheval Blanc in Grandes vins rouge du Monde (Les Editions du Bottin Gourmand). Thirty years later Stonyridge Vineyard is still producing a portfolio of critically acclaimed wines.
As well as an allocation of Larose, we will also be taking the following wines from their portfolio:
Stonyridge Luna Dorada 2020
100% Chardonnay, rich and complex. Grown on their estate Vina del Mar block overlooking Onetangi Bay, Luna Dorada is the new wine in the Stonyridge Estate portfolio. This Chardonnay is made from the same clones that go into the famed wines of Corton Charlemagne, and as such the 2020 Luna Dorada shows richness and enormity but with many layers of complexity. The barrel fermentation is 60% new French oak of the highest quality available and is perfectly integrated. Luna Dorada is an unapologetic, ripe style of Chardonnay.
Stonyridge Luna Negra Hillside Malbec 2020
Grown on our estate Vina del Mar block overlooking Onetangi Bay, the Luna Negra 2020 is a wine of incredible concentration and ripeness.The nose shows black and blue forest fruit on the nose with a hint of wild herb and a generous lick of oak, imparted by the ageing in 50% new tight grain French oak.The palate is rich, long, and dangerously drinkable. The 2020is capable of cellaring for many years.
Stonyridge Larose 2020
Blend of 5 Bordeaux Grapes: 53% Cab Sav, 25% Merlot, 12.5% Petit Verdot, 6.3% Cab Franc, 2.7% Malbec, 0.5% Carmenere. The resultant wine is rich, concentrated, and deep, with fresh, pretty aromatics of lavender and powerful aromas of dark black fruits underpinning. On the palate, it is a wine of power and extraction, with massive chewy tannin at this point in its evolution. This is classic, great vintage Bordeaux, but in the more modern and clean style, with great purity and complexity of flavour. Drink from 2025-2050 if you can resist the temptation. Hand harvested. Aged 11 months in 70% new French oak barriques. Unfined and filtered before bottling. Vegan friendly.
Stonyridge Faithful Syrah 2020
A ready to drink, fruit forward red. Ripe, spicy red fruits with subtle, toasty oak.
Stonyridge Pilgrim Syrah 2019
A blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Viognier. Estate grown Northern Rhone blend: The 2020 Pilgrim is aromatic and perfumed, with wonderful florals and ripe dark forest fruit. The palate is concentrated with firm ripe tannin and incredible length.