Prophets Rock 'Rocky Point' Pinot Noir 2022

Since the first release in 2003, this wine has been an excellent introduction to the Prophet’s Rock house style and site driven approach to Pinot Noir.

This vibrant and structured Pinot Noir is from our ridiculously steep and very rocky vineyard on the north-facing slopes above Lake Dunstan. The grapes from this low-yielding vintage were handpicked, wild-fermented in small lots and aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. Always a very perfumed Pinot Noir, this wine has fine tannins and an elegant profile making it a great food wine and a great candidate for further cellaring.

The grapes are hand-picked from the two Prophet’s Rock estate vineyards in the Bendigo and Pisa sub-regions of Central Otago. The principal source is the Rocky Point Vineyard in Bendigo with its warm, free draining, predominantly schist soils and some of the steepest planted blocks in Central Otago. The Kopuwai Delta vineyard is located in the Pisa sub-region of Central Otago and the site has a mix of glacial and alluvial soil. PR

The Prophet's Rock operation based at Bendigo produces wines that are distinctively European in character. One must taste and drink them with a perspective of a vigneron in the Rheingau, Riquewihr or in Pommard to appreciate their style. Mike Mulvey set up the label based on fruit from two sites, one in Pisa, the other in Bendigo, in 1999. The arrival of Paul Pujol as winemaker with experience including Alsace, Burgundy and Oregon has cemented the international outlook of the vineyard, winery and the wines. RAYMOND CHAN, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz