2021 was a fantastic growing season on Waiheke, with good fruit set, followed by a settled dry summer, but also well above average temperatures lead to the earliest ever veraison and subsequent picking across all varieties.

Wow! This wine is inky! Visually and organoleptically. Massive amplitude on the nose, with dark brooding aromas of black currant, blackberry compote, and dark plum, followed by cocoa, cedar, and a hint of savoury spice. At this young age it’s already very forward and open on the nose, and is a wine you can swirl and sniff for an eternity before finally putting it in your mouth. When you do, the sweetness of the fruit across the mid-palate is what first strikes you, then the massive concentration and ripe, firm structure frame the fruit explosion beautifully, so the wine is at once voluptuous but also poised. The 2021 is a wine that has massive cellaring potential despite its forward nature at this stage, and I would confidently say that it has at least 20 years in a prime drinking window.

VINTAGE NOTES

2021 started with a wetter than usual spring and early summer that put disease pressure on early. Once through the worst of the weather however, the rest of the summer and autumn were sensational, with peak temperatures some of the hottest we have experienced on Waiheke Island, with very low rainfall for the whole of the autumn. Above average crop levels across the vineyards, led to a longer harvest season, but with the perfect weather, the fruit all came in with great numbers and physiological ripeness.

TASTING NOTES

The 2021 Larose is a deep, dense monster of a Cabernet blend, dark, rich black fruits with a lift of crushed violet and cedar on the nose, lead into a huge opulent palate, firmly structured and full bodied. The length is massive, with the blue and black fruits lingering for an eternity. This Larose is very up front drinking at the moment, but has the potential to be very long lived in the cellar for those patient enough to wait.

• Lot #13632521
• Actual Bottles Pictured
• RRP $500 per Bottle
• Zero Ullage, Perfect Labels
• Cork Closure
• 97 Points James Suckling
• Professionally Cellared
• 13.5% abv
• Sold /Priced as a 1 Bottle Pack

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