Why it matters
The producer
Founded in the late 1990s, Prophet's Rock takes its name from a nineteenth-century gold prospector. Paul Pujol joined in 2005 after working in France and the United States.
Vineyard management focuses on soil health and biodiversity. In the cellar, the winery selects fine-grained, medium-toast barrels.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The winery sits in Bendigo, a subregion of Central Otago, where it grows low-yielding fruit. Its estate comprises Home Vineyard, Rocky Point Vineyard and Kopuwai Delta Vineyard.
Home Vineyard occupies a north-facing terrace above Bendigo Station Homestead. Its slopes rise from 320 metres to almost 400 metres and contain schist, quartz, clay and a subsurface lens of chalk. Rocky Point is planted to Pinot Noir, Riesling and Pinot Gris on shallow soils.
Wines to know
The range in view
Home Vineyard Pinot Noir has come exclusively from Home Vineyard since its first release in 2005. Destemmed fruit ferments with indigenous yeast under extremely low extraction, then spends 17 months in barrel, 35% new, with indigenous malolactic fermentation.
The 2022 Cuvée Aux Antipodes Pinot Noir comes from one Home Vineyard parcel: a single Pinot Noir clone on the western end of the steep front face. It can be decanted when young and cellared for at least ten years from vintage. Rocky Point Pinot Noir also appears in the range.