The Boneline
Iridium 2024 750ml

  2024 IRIDIUM

Cabernet Franc – Merlot – Cabernet Sauvignon

damson –black forest– violets– bramble – coco powder – elemental

Vintage

In the lead-up to the 2023/24 growing season, there was much discussion about the shift in weather patterns from the La Niña conditions that had dominated the previous few vintages to the anticipated hot, dry El Niño. In reality, the transition proved gradual.

Several frost events between mid-September and the end of October required careful management, and the cool temperatures combined with wet spring weather had a significant impact on flowering—particularly among early-ripening varieties—resulting in lower-than-average yields.

The major shift in weather arrived in mid-December, when North Canterbury entered a classic long, hot, and dry summer, reminiscent of the 2020 vintage. This was followed by a cooler but equally dry autumn, allowing an extended hang time that encouraged the development of beautifully concentrated flavours, ripe phenolics, and fine natural balance.

Vinification

All fruit was hand-picked and carefully destemmed with the aim of preserving whole berries, allowing for an extended fermentation and gentle extraction. Fermentation was carried out with either wild or organically cultured yeasts, building slowly to a warm peak temperature to enhance structure and depth.

Malolactic fermentation was encouraged to commence during the primary phase, followed by a long, warm post-ferment maceration to refine tannins and integrate flavour. The resulting batches were then aged in French oak barrels, with 25% new oak to contribute subtle spice and texture.

Each batch was kept separate through two rounds of racking and return over winter and spring, before being blended pre-harvest 2025 and returned to seasoned oak for a further four months of maturation. In mid winter, the barrels were racked to tank, where the wine rested for two months before being bottled.

Wine

A deep magenta core with a ruby rim sets the tone for this powerful yet poised wine. The nose is lifted and expressive, revealing bright cassis, blackberry, and boysenberry, layered with notes of graphite, barrel spice, and violets.

On the palate, flavours of blackberry, redcurrant, and spiced plum are intertwined with bramble, cocoa powder, and subtle licorice, creating depth and complexity. Fine-grained tannins frame the wine’s generous fruit, while a gentle acid drive adds freshness and line. The finish is long and mineral, leaving a lasting impression of precision and balance.

Elegant, complex, and confidently structured, this vintage of Iridium captures both the power and refinement of North Canterbury’s red varieties..

Tech

Merlot

Picked: 23/04/24              pH: 3.66       TA: 5.40       Brix: 24.7

Cabernet Franc

Picked: 6/05/24                pH: 3.61       TA: 5.41       Brix: 24.8

Cabernet Sauvignon

Picked: 7/05/24                pH: 3.67       TA: 5.30       Brix: 24.8

Blend

Bottled: 24/9/25              pH: 3.76       TA: 6.04       Alc: 14.3%