Description
“Really much more Burgundian than New Zealand” – Jancis Robinson
Prophet’s Rock was first planted in 1999 in what is a breathtaking part of Bendigo in the Cromwell Basin, in Central Otago. Unlike the majority of the vineyards in this region which sit on the valley floor their vineyards are planted on steep slopes facing North. Paul Pujol is the winemaker since the first vintage in 2005 and has spent the off season over the last 4 years working in France at both Alsace for Kuentz-Bar and Comte de Vogue in Burgundy so has a superb grounding in aromatic textured whites and one of the greatest expressions of Pinot Noir.
About this wine from the winemaker: “Pinot Gris has always been a strong focus for Prophet’s Rock. We farm our aromatic whites to the same high standard in the vineyard as our top Pinot Noir and take time through all aspects of production to ensure that the wine we release is the best reflection of the site it can be.”
“2024 was a season that produced amazing quality fruit with great concentration and freshness. Marked by a frost in late October, the season seemed to get the right amount of rainfall and warmth at the right times through to the end of harvest. We started by picking in mid-March before cool autumn conditions settled in. This resulted in slow and gradual ripening as we slowly picked block by block until the third week of April. This ‘slow-cook’ late season made for great flavour development, whilst retaining good freshness at moderate potential alcohol.
“The grapes for this wine are hand-picked from our estate vineyards (Rocky Point, Bendigo, Central Otago (52%); Kopuwai Vineyard, Pisa, Central Otago (47%); Home Vineyard, Bendigo, Central Otago (1%) with the predominate source being the Rocky Point Vineyard. This site has warm free- draining, predominantly schist soils with some of the steepest planted blocks in Central Otago.
“Extensive canopy and crop management is carried out during the growing season to ensure the grapes attained full physiological ripeness with great concentration, aromatics, and flavour. Yields on all sites are kept very low and do not exceed 38hl/ha or 5t/ha. n the vineyard this often equates to one bunch maximum per shoot, no shoulders or wings, and a further green-thin at veraison.
“The handpicked fruit is 100% whole-bunch pressed over 5-6 hours and fermented using only indigenous ‘wild’ yeast in old barrels. Fermentation typically takes 3-4 months and the finished wine is then aged without racking on gross lees until bottling just before the following vintage.
“The 2024 Pinot Gris jumps out of the glass with aromas of nashi pear, nectarine and orange blossom enveloped by a rich honeycomb note. On the palate, the wine shows a mix of stone fruit and tropical fruits; with crunchy white peach, sweet peckham pear and a zingy pineapple-like acidity creating a lovely balance. The result is a balanced, aromatic Pinot Gris that will is not only moreish on its own, but pairs well with a wide range of cuisine. Cellar with confidence for 10+ years. 13.5% alc.”
RRP $65 Our Special Price $52.99 when you buy 6 or more.
