PROPHET’S ROCK CUVÉE aux ANTIPODES PINOT NOIR 2020

Back in 2009 Central Otago winemaker Paul Pujol went to do vintage at De Vogüé in Burgundy, with François Millet. Later, in 2013, Paul took François’ son as an intern, and François and his wife visited Central Otago. Since then, they have struck up a friendship and made a wine together from the Prophet’s Rock vineyard, called Cuvée Aux Antipodes, with 2015 as the debut vintage. This is just the sixth release and already it has reached almost legendary status in wine circles.

Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"​The Cuvée Aux Antipodes is the meeting of two winemakers, Paul Pujol and Francois Millet from the two hemispheres. The Old and the New World seemingly so distant, join here in a human and winemaking adventure with a common passion for Pinot Noir and the beauty of its terroirs.

The grapes were sourced from our Home Vineyard which is located on a high-elevation, steep glacial terrace in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. This stunning site has clay and pedogenic lime soil, featuring schist and quartz."

5 Stars & 97/100 Stephen Wong MW, The Real Review, May 2024 (2020 Vintage)
"Cuvée aux Antipodes is the joint venture between Prophet’s Rock winemaker Paul Pujol and François Millet, who recently left Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. Pujol worked a vintage at de Vogüé and since 2016, François has made a special cuvée of delicious pinot noir from one part of the Prophet’s Rock home block. (He now also makes a wonderful chardonnay from Prophet’s Rock’s third vineyard, across Lake Dunstan.) Using techniques he perfected with Musigny, Millet also practices infusion with this arresting pinot noir.

Elegant, restrained nose of dark fruits, violet and spice, wrapped in smoky oak. The palate is seriously concentrated with orange peel, lots of spice and layers of complexity. Very long, evolving and refined, this is in another class altogether. Fruit, florals and wood crash in waves across the peacock’s tail finish. Magnificent stuff."

96/100 JamesSuckling.com (2020 Vintage)
"This has an intense, complex nose of charred bark, dark cherries, black raspberries, cumin, spice box, iodine and slate. It's medium- to full-bodied with a firm, sleek tannin structure providing plenty of support to the dark fruit. Tight and mineral at the end. Better after 2023."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

5 Stars Michael Cooper (2019 Vintage)
"Estate-grown in the Home Vineyard – an elevated (320 to 400 metres above sea level) site at Bendigo – this is a very classy red. Deep, bright and youthful in colour, the 2019 vintage should flourish for a decade. Refined and supple, it is elegant, fresh and concentrated, with deep cherry, plum and spice flavours, complex, savoury, lively and long. Best drinking 2024+."

Rated Outstanding & 97/100 Cameron Douglas MS, March 2020 (2018 Vintage)
"Complex, detailed and captivating bouquet of Pinot Noir – aromas and flavours of red fruits and wood spices – a seamless connection to earth & mineral layers. The texture is tense and very youthful – all locked up and not quite ready to reveal – but the quiver of spice and tannins with acidity and a core of fruit shows what’s to come. The wine is also very pretty with a rose and perfume scent, some wild dried herb and spice. Decant for service if you can’t wait. Best drinking from 2021 through 2027+."

96/100 Jamie Goode (2017 Vintage)
"Gravelly, slightly chalky edge to the brooding, sweet black fruits. Lovely concentration and intensity here: sweetly fruited with dense blackberry and black cherry with a slight reductive edge. There’s astonishing volume and amplitude here, with good structure and acidity. Still so primary with amazing fruit, structure and acidity. Grippy tannins but they work so well in the context of the wine. Such a drive and energy here."

94/100 Rebecca Gibb MW, January 2019 (2017 Vintage)
"This collaboration between Burgundy's Francois Millet and Prophet's Rock has produced a gorgeously fragrant expression. While delicate, it is densely concentrated exuding a ripe essence of blackberries and raspberry coulis. The extraction regime is very gentle -just one punch over a day at most leading to wonderfully supple tannins and a chalky texture on the conclusion."