PROPHET'S ROCK CUVEE AUX ANTIPODES CENTRAL OTAGO 2021 750ml

ABOUT THE WINE

Prophet’s Rock, established in 1999 in Central Otago, New Zealand, is a boutique winery celebrated for its artisanal approach to crafting exceptional Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Pinot Gris. Nestled in the rugged, picturesque landscape of the world’s southernmost wine region, the winery operates two organically certified vineyards: the Home Vineyard in Bendigo and the Rocky Point Vineyard in Lowburn. These sites, perched at elevations of 320–390 meters, benefit from unique soils of clay, limestone, schist, and quartz, shaped by ancient glacial activity, imparting distinctive minerality and intensity to the wines. Under the guidance of acclaimed winemaker Paul Pujol, Prophet’s Rock employs minimal-intervention techniques, indigenous yeasts, and meticulous vineyard management to express the region’s terroir.
Prophet’s Rock Cuvée Aux Antipodes Pinot Noir 2021 is a remarkable collaboration between Central Otago’s Prophet’s Rock winemaker Paul Pujol and Burgundian legend François Millet, formerly of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. This unique wine, born from a friendship forged in 2009 when Pujol worked a vintage under Millet in Burgundy, represents a fusion of Old and New World winemaking. Sourced from a single, organic-certified parcel of the Home Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago, the grapes grow on shallow clay and pedogenic limestone soils at 320–390 meters elevation. Millet, who visits twice yearly, employs traditional Burgundian techniques—100% destemming, minimal intervention, hand-plunging, and aging in 33% new Remond Tronçais oak for 17 months.

TASTING NOTE:

This 2021 Cuvée Aux Antipodes Pinot Noir offers a savoury, enticing nose with compact red cherry, wild berries, rose petals, crushed thyme, and wet stone. On the palate, it opens with sweet fruit, transitioning to a structured, dry profile with earthy fruit tannins. Its medium-to-full body is balanced by vibrant acidity, sleek tannins, and concentrated flavors of spiced cherry, tapenade, dried herbs, alpine mint, and black tea. With 13.5% ABV, this wine is approachable now with decanting but will evolve beautifully through 2035–2041.