NZ's most cultist red affirms its status at a vertical tasting
A idea was floated on the Auswine* board that we have a vertical tasting of New Zealand's pre-eminent red wine Stonyridge Larose from Waiheke Island- a large populated island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf that is referred to by the winemakers there as 'The Island of Wine'.
The idea to have a vertical tasting of Stonyridge Larose evolved because most of us had never had a vertical of the wine, just single vintages, at great cost, at any one time. It was because one of the initiators said in a buying thread that his wallet had been stung for the NZ$100 per bottle en primeur price for the 2008 vintage - the 2008 will sell for NZ$220 at the winery when it is released later this year. Well, the thread that was started took 138 replies to organise it - and then it happened - last weekend on the 23rd May, in fact. Entry to the tasting was a unique vintage of Stonyridge Larose and with one of the crew offering the venue, it was BYO everything else, including glasses.
We ended up with 12 vintages to taste - 89, 90, 91, 94, 96, 99, 00, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07 and we tasted in flights of four.
The first three looked older in the glass - and although dense were picking up quite noticeable bricking hues. These three were blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. By the 1994 vintage, Petit Verdot had been introduced but it wasn't until 2002 that it exceeded 5 per cent. However in the later vintages, Petit Verdot had varying proportions, mostly in double figures, and was as high as 21% in 2003. However Cabernet Sauvignon is always the dominant component. Alcohol hovers around 13% to 13.5%, according to the labels. The bottles are closed with natural corks.
Here are my brief notes and scores
First Flight
Stonyridge Larose Cabernet 1989
This 20-year old Cabernet predominant blend definitely set the bar high right from the first sip. A well cellared and simply outstanding bottle of wine - brick orange brown in colour with a vinous, savoury, sweet cake-like aroma and delicious old wine flavours - silky and sultry with currant-like fruit and salted raisin notes coming through after an hour in the glass. Earthy, savoury yet sweet with incredible length and mesmerising presence. 19.5/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1990
Stinky herbal, it still took a long time to open up. Dry, drying, firm tannins, lovely red fruit connotations and raisins with liquorice and cedar notes, oak spice, old plum and cherry jam. Great vinous presence but quite mellow and now on its downhill slide.17/20
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1991
Woody, old wine, leathery / Bretty, a bit of poo. Some corkiness detected in the palate. Like licking a muddy puddle after rain to quench thirst but all you're left with is a dry, dusty aftertaste with grainy, gravelly tannins - but the vinous sweetness of wine did come through. TCA was marginal and initially picked up immediately by only about four of us- but became more obvious to others with time. Not scored.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1994
Deep red, very youthful for its age. Voluptuous aromas of creamy oak, ripe cherry and currant fruit and hints of anise. Gorgeous, cedary, youthful intensity in palate with pencil lead, blackcurrant, florals and spice. Firm tannin structure. Sweet finish yet the tannins are dry. Original notes said, "cellar 12 years" - now 15 years on, it could easily go another 10. Outstanding. 19/20.
Second Flight
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1996 Deep dense red with bricking tinges. Perfumed, old rose petal, becoming quite savoury with sweet smoky oak and just a hint of mint sauce. Mellow, memories of blackcurrant and blackberry, secondary bottle age characters with smoke and cigar box to the fore. Quite developed compared to the 1994 yet is juicy with a sultry, vinous fascination. 18.5/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1999
Deep red, some purple highlights. Complex, concentrated, liquorice, red fruit and cedary oak scents. Huge upfront tannin structure but they seem to dissolve as concentrated fruit, floral and oak flavours take over. Opens up gorgeously - sensually - delicious winey flavours, ripe purple and black fruit, violets and rosemary with liquorice, vanilla, cedar and cigar box. Powerful, mouthfilling, sweet fruited and long - still very primary after 30 minutes in the glass. 19.5/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2000
Deep purple red, intensely youthful. Initially dull nose opens up to reveal tobacco, leather, sweet tar, smoke, jammy cassis and dried herbs. The taste is salty savoury and spicy - a hint of marmite perhaps with quite drying grainy tannins that seem to hover around the front of the mouth with leather, tar, roast beef, a hint of mint sauce. Fruit is bright and lifted with plenty of underlying acidity - but that abundant leather spoiled it for me. Incidentally, my husband's favourite of this flight, but I scored it 17.5/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2002
Purple red, fading edges. Dusty on the nose with fine extract, hints of liquorice and concentrated fruit - there's a purity to the blackcurrant-like Cabernet fruit. Savoury to start - savoury, salty and meaty with fine silky tannin structure - then reveals its voluptuousness every which way. A brooding wine with a sweet meaty undercurrent and a mellow finish - concentrated, succulent and long. 18.5/20.
Third Flight
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2003
Deep purple red. Big earthy leathery aroma becoming quite jammy sweet with vanillin oak, cherry and cassis. Remarkably soft and gentle in the palate with succulent plum, blackberry & blackcurrant fruit, cedar, cigar box and spice but underlying thick tannins assert concentration and power. Leather detected on the nose coming through again on the long, smoky finish. 18/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2004
Bright, super dense, purple hue. Initially overt tar and leather on the nose but becomes more tantalising with vanilla, cassis, cherry and floral scents. A big, rich, full, beefy, tannic style - tannins initially quite distracting. Concentrated cassis, cedar, liquorice, leather and tar becoming quite floral with just a hint of mint on the finish. Despite the tannins, there is a finesse to the wine - keeps getting better and better. Probably best to drink in 20 years time. 18/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2005
Dense purple red. Gorgeous, sweet oak scent - florals, cassis and hints of cigar. Big, rich and succulent with concentrated blackberry, blackcurrant & preserved black cherry fruit, liquorice and florals yet powerful meaty flavours and lots of oak of sweet spicy oak. Beautifully fine tannin structure from the outset - amazingly decadent and juicy - you could drink this now without too much difficulty - but with the tannins asserting their power on the lingering smoky finish, it clearly has a long future ahead of it. 19.5/20.
Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 2007
Dense purple red. Spicy smelling with sweet smoky savoury oak, fruit cake cherry, cassis and a hint of tar. Scent is tantalising but the huge tannin structure makes it, like the 2004, almost unapproachable right now. Rich, meaty, savoury, leathery and tarry with nuances of cherry, plum and black currant jam becoming more succulent on the vanillin oak finish with florals and a hint of mint. Phenomenally long finish - amazing potential but needs time. Decant. 18.5/20.
There was a vote at the end of the tasting by first and second favourite wines. I voted 2005 for 2 points, followed by 1999 for 1 point. The 1989 was relegated to third favourite - although it was the wine I most desired at the end of the tasting to have a big glass of there and then without food. No such luck, unfortunately. I did taste a wee sample the next day, however, and it was glorious.
The overall 'top wine' accolade, when the votes were counted, went to Stonyridge Larose 2005. The next four wines in order, were 1999, 1994, 1989 and 2007.
Hope people find this of interest (reads and replies will tell). More complete notes are on my website at this link.
Cheers,
Sue.
*I'll just add here that the Auswine board is not really competition to WLDG but it provides a venue for Australians and Kiwis to hang out and talk primarily about the Australian and NZ wines in our market place. I believe Robin and Auswine's Gavin are friends.
I also put myself on the waiting list for the 05 at K & L Wines in San Fran. About $45 at both places.
Fun things those kiwi birds.
. Long live the Swedish monopoly, K&L Wines and JJ Buckley 
