Stonyridge Airfield 2022

Stephen White is the founder and owner of Stonyridge Vineyard, located on Waiheke Island. A native of Auckland, his journey into winemaking stretches back to a time spent racing and skippering yachts and working at wineries in France, California and Italy. He came to love the culture and lifestyle of the Mediterranean and the great red wines of France,Tuscany and California.

This passion brought him back to New Zealand where he identified a north-facing site on Waiheke Island as ideal for cultivating Bordeaux grape varieties, and in 1982, he planted the first vines and olive trees.

By 1985, Stephen was producing the inaugural vintage at Stonyridge, and two years later, the 1987 Larose was acclaimed as one of New Zealand's greatest red wines. Today, Stonyridge Larose continues to be regarded as one of the best Bordeaux blends in the world. "

The fruit was hand-harvested from the Estate’s sheltered, north-facing vineyard on Waiheke Island. The soils are low-fertility Waitemata clay, rich in iron, manganese, and magnesium oxides, promoting slow, balanced vine growth and small berry size. The final blend consisted of 45% Merlot, 19% Malbec, 19% Cab Franc, 16% Petit Verdot, 1% Syrah. Each grape variety underwent separate fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Post-fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels, which imparted subtle notes of cinnamon and contributed to the wine's complexity and structure.