If they say an essence of a place and a way of life can be found in a bottle of wine, then Prophet's Rock represents the sentiment better than most! Led by head winemaker Paul Pujol, who will be joining as host for this Saturday's tasting (15th June) from 12 to 2pm, the estate has grown a shining reputation for site-driven wines that show both pronounced expression and yet a welcome sensitive side. The sites being nestled just south of Bendigo in Central Otago, all of this team's fruit is harvested by hand; the Riesling and Pinot Gris see long ferments in barrel and lees-aging that bring out power and concentration, while the Pinot Noir (special mention to the Home Vineyard, one of our very favourite reds from all of NZ) sees minimal fruit extraction to maintain its bright flavour and fermented using only indigenous yeast grown on their land. We also have their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their 'Cuvée Aux Antipodes' range; a collaboration with esteemed French winemaker Francois Millet out of Chambolle-Musigny, Burgundy! We can't wait for Paul to join us come Saturday, and share his winemaking experiences with all of you!
For some warming tastes of gin in this cold weather, we also have Australian Distilling Co on show Friday (14th June), with a trio of their award-winning gins; Brisbane, Byron and Geelong! Host Roseanna will be here from 4 to 6pm to hand you a glass, and tell you why these have become some of the most celebrated in the country.
Australian Distilling Co.
on Tasting - Friday 14th June
from 4 to 6pm
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Join us and try three of their award-winning gins -
Brisbane Gin
Bondi Gin
Geelong Gin
Prophet's Rock - On Special & Tasting
Saturday 15th June - from 12 to 2pm
Hosted by their Head Winemaker Paul Pujol
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Rocky Point Pinot Noir 2022 - $46 on special; $52 RRP
"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." - Winemaker Notes
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Dry Riesling 2022 - $49 on special; $55 RRP
"The 2022 Riesling is singing right out of the gate. Intense and complex aromas of lemons, sweet limes and citrus blossom, with underlying notes of lavender, cardamon and ginger. The palate continues the citrus theme – fresh lemons, lemon curd and ruby grapefruit, with ripe yellow plums. Although the palate is generous with fruit weight, the finish is long and dry, beautifully balanced with the high natural acidity and stoney texture from the schist soils of our Rocky Point vineyard. This wine represents a very small portion of our overall production but has always been a strong focus for Prophet’s Rock." - Winemaker Notes
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Pinot Gris 2022 - $50 on special; $57 RRP
"This Pinot Gris amazingly consistent in style and quality, sweet pear and red apple aromas with hints of white spice and white flowers. The palate is medium in body with concentrated fruit notes and finishes with a splash of acidity, followed by crunchy mineral and light phenolics adding to the complexity and giving structure to the wine. Well balanced and delicious as always! This textured and aromatic Pinot Gris comes from a classic’ vintage for Central Otago. A warm summer followed by a long fine autumn giving the wines ripeness whilst retaining great freshness. The structure and weight of this wine makes it a versatile food match from seafood to white meats and which can also be paired with spice and stronger flavours. This wine will continue to cellar well for further complexity over the next 7-10 years." - Winemaker Notes
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'Olearia' Pinot Noir 2021 - $75 on special; $85 RRP
"Olearia Lineata is a small dense tree with elegant fine branches and tiny drought resistant leaves that once carpeted the valley floors of Central Otago. We are fortunate to have large numbers of these officially ‘at-risk’ trees in and around both our Bendigo vineyards and continue to plant more. This wine comes from the very steep, highest elevation parcels on our Rocky Point Vineyard, planted on mineral-rich schist soils. The grapes for this wine were hand-picked, fermented using only indigenous ‘wild’ yeast, and matured for 17 months in French oak barrels." - Winemaker Notes
"Intense, rich pinot noir with mouth-filling flavours that suggest liquorice, chocolate/mocha, cassis and dark cherry. A richly textured wine with a backbone of sweet, ripe tannins. Accessible now but with good cellaring potential." - 96 Points, Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
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Home Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 - $78 on special; $89 RRP
"The foundation of this wine is our focus on delivering low-yielding concentrated fruit that expresses our vineyard. In the winery, we employ traditional old world techniques; the grapes are handled gently and the wines are fermented using only the indigenous yeast from the vineyard. The wines are aged in barrel for 15-18 months before being bottled unfiltered, and are cellared before release. Concentrated and elegant with red and dark fruit, spectacular baking spices combined with smoky oak and the signature integrated tannin structure, this seamless wine with its velvety texture will leave you wanting more. Cellaring will reward collectors over the next 10+ years from vintage." -Winemaker Notes
"A fantastic pinot with dried strawberries, orange peel, terra-cotta, and dried leaves. It’s full and very layered with creamy and fine tannins that go on for minutes. Plenty of depth and very long with tension and a beautifully creamy, velvety finish." - 97 Points, James Suckling
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Cuvée aux Antipodes Chardonnay 2022- $154 on special; $175 RRP
"This Chardonnay is a collaboration between Prophet’s Rock winemaker Paul Pujol and esteemed French winemaker François Millet from Chambolle-Musigny, Burgundy. Former winemaker at Comte George de Vogüé for 35 vintages, François continues to make wine in Burgundy with his family under ‘François Millet et Fils’ and with us in New Zealand. The grapes were sourced from the small one hectare Chardonnay block on our Kopuwai Delta vineyard, located in the Pisa sub-region of Central Otago. This site has a mix of glacial and alluvial soil. Meticulous viticulture and the site’s low-elevation help to ensure full ripeness and concentration. Cellaring will reward collectors over the next 10+ years from vintage." -Winemaker Notes
"The 2022 Cuvée Aux Antipodes Blanc is a magnificent triumph of yields. Where previously this 1.8-hectare plot produced anywhere from six to eight barrels of wine, the 2022 produced 23 barrels of wine—very exciting for followers of this cuvée. On the nose, the wine is showing its youth, but far from being inchoate, it is long and polished through the very long finish. It’s got lashings of stone fruit and preserved citrus, white pepper, star anise, shaved fennel, juniper and cold buttered toast. This is a wonderful wine of potential and kaleidoscopic complexity, although it is far tighter and more compact than previous years. Searingly good." -96+ Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
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Cuvée aux Antipodes Pinot Noir 2019 - $218 on special; $250 RRP
"The 2019 Pinot Noir Cuvée Aux Antipodes is ex–Comte Georges de Vogüé maker François Millet's Kiwi venture in collaboration with Prophet's Rock. It's a dense, smooth and texturally refined Pinot Noir with floral and black cherry fruit. The powerful structure and muscular yet refined bendigo tannins are honed with a pared-back extraction regimen, but this remains a carefully controlled, naturally robust wine. Within its core, there is rich concentration of both substance and tannins, making this a wine for the long haul. Patience will be rewarded." -97 Points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
If you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Thursday the 20th of June