…vivid textural canvas

I am well overdue to get across to the island and catch-up with Steve & Martin, whom I have known for more years now than I have fingers and toes. As we slide into winter with richer, even wild game flavours becoming more prevalent on the menu. Over the past few weeks I have had the pleasure to be asked to find wines to work with several premium cuts of black angus beef and high grade wagyu steaks for a series of upcoming degustation’s I am hosting.
While I was cooking at home and experimenting with a variety of local and international wines. I had this wine standing up in my cellar for a few days, as I wanted to preview this vintage for a special dinner later in the year. So before I turned on the grill and began to crush spices in the mortar. I decanted this wine, poured a small taste every 15 minutes for the next few hours and the following insights were scribed in my notebook.
I visited Martin in 2015 while he was pressing some of the parcels that would go into barrel and eventually make up this wine. I was so enthralled while talking with Martin, I bought a case when it was finally released. This 2015 is one of the most harmonious of recent vintages, due to several factors, but primarily a favourable growing season from start to harvest. The different fruit parcels came into the winery with ideal flavour development and with exceptional balance and varietal concentration.
All the fruit for this wine was hand-harvested, along with being hand-plunged, then with around 30 days on skin fermentation and maceration. After being backet pressed the wine went into French barrels, with 65% being new oak, where it developed for 12 months before tasting, blending of this cuvée and then estate bottling.

★ On the inviting nose your have ripe dark plums, blackberries, cassis, dried herbs, mocha-coffee and a deft tobacco and vanilla note. While in the decanter, the bouquet and layered palate continued to unveil a rich tapestry. The palate has a restrained confidence a master of itself, with a fine-tuned structure with perfectly infused ripe mixed berry fruits, stealthily wrapped in refined tannins and dovetailed oak along with a sincere underlining seam of fruit acidity. One of the world’s best expressions of living art, perfectly showcasing a vivid textural canvas of primary berry flavours, resulting in the ability to engage all senses with a charming dedication and an incredible imprint.

This 2015 Stonyridge ‘Larose’ has 14.3% Alc./vol. Crafted in a classic dry style. Broad-based decanting for a minimum 30-45 minutes and serve in an appropriate full-bodied red wine glass at 17°- 18°C. (sold out at winery : *NZ$459)

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Article Posted 11/5/24)
Drinking perfectly well this winter season with diligent decanting, it would appreciate another 2 years. Plus will reward and age gracefully for another 8 - 10 years.

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with a dry-aged prime cut of beef sirloin, venison, ostrich and high grade wagyu with seasonal roasted vegetables and a rich wine jus reduction or with aged hard cheeses and good friends - enjoy.