Magic of double gold for Stoneleigh

MEDIA RELEASE 21 October 2009

Magic of double gold for Stoneleigh at International Wine and Spirits Competition in London

The magic of the sunstones has seen Stoneleigh excel at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London this year, with two of the wines winning gold medals.

Stoneleigh Marlborough Riesling 2008 and Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Pinot Gris 2008 not only won gold, but both were the top entries in their category, awarded Best in Class by the judges.

Founded 40 years ago, the International Wine and Spirits Challenge is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Entries are judged in award categories divided by variety, region and vintage. Medals are awarded based on scores, with the best entry in each category named Best in Class.

The Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 won silver and was also named Best in Class, with the Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008 winning bronze.

The Stoneleigh wines elicited enthusiastic response from the judges. They described the Riesling “as zesty and crunchy, with a trigger happy, explosive finish”. The Pinot Gris also had them in raptures, characterising the wine “as a luscious buxom creature, dressed beautifully”.

Responding to the good news, Stoneleigh winemaker Jamie Marfell said it was all due to the vineyard. “We have to plant the right vines, manage them properly and take care to preserve the character of the fruit in the winery, but all of that is just to allow the natural quality of the vineyard to shine through.”

Stoneleigh vineyard lies on the stony Rapaura soils near the northern edge of Marlborough’s main Wairau Valley. The brilliant white sunstones that cover much of the vineyard absorb the heat of the sun by day, radiating that heat to the vines at night, aiding the development of distinctive and intense tropical fruit flavours, created by the warmth held in the stones.

“Stoneleigh is an exceptional vineyard where the vines are planted in the stones left by an ancient riverbed. Our wines express the warmth of the sunstones in their fruit, producing fresh, clean and vibrant flavours - a true expression of their place and time ” says Jamie. “These awards are a wonderful vindication of our efforts, the belief in this amazing piece of land and the magic of our sunstones.”

The Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition will run from 7 November 2009 through to February 2010 at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. The exhibition showcases the work of some of New Zealand’s most talented artists for in this magnificent garden setting. Entry to Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens is free.
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