Prophets Rock Pinot Noir 2006 Wednesday, Apr 30 2008
Tasting Notes and New Zealand and Central Otago and Variety and Red and pinot noir
A curiously cork sealed Central Otago pinot from the Bendigo and Pisa sub-regions. Very good though and perhaps a bit more refined than you would expect of a Central Otago.
Lots going on here with black cherry, plum, sarsaparilla, pepper, spice, smoke, flowers and pencilly oak all making their contributions to this aromatically action packed wine. It’s medium bodied with bright fresh acidity, smooth lightly chalky tannins and excellent flow through the mouth. Not heavy or sweet with flavours of black cherry, graphite, liquorice, spice, a little cocoa and a long clean spicy finish. It’s a very impressive wine.
Rated : 93 Points
Tasted : Apr08
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $60
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2008 - 2014
Source : Winery Sample
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10 Responses to “Prophets Rock Pinot Noir 2006”
May 1st, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Did you get the riesling as well? Also cork sealed…
I liked this wine, nice structure and flow through the mouth as you say, but thought it was a tad pricey. Australia is growing some good pinots these days.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I have the Riesling, also cork sealed. I’d say they are on a hiding to nothing locally with that - unless the wine is exceptional.
GW
May 1st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Agreed.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Hi there
I’m an occasional reader of your website and often use if for a reference point thanks! I’ve got a question for you and maybe your other readers. I’m visiting Central Otago for 10 days in October and wonder if you have any ideas about which cellar doors to visit or hard to get wines to try there? I’m a pinot, chardonnay and riesling nut and haven’t tried nearly enough Central Otago wines here in Sydney. That said I have bought some Felton Roads and hid them from myself recently…
Hope to hear from you soon!
Z
May 4th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hi Zhan,
I live in NZ so have a little first hand experience with the wines, and cellar doors down there. The best of which I can suggest would be Mt Difficulty, who always have a good selction of riesling ranking from off-dry, through to late harvest, the Pinot Noir is usually of sound quality and in some vintages very good, and the chardonnay can be excellent such as the latest 2006. Rippon is well worth a visit, and the wines have been improving drastically over the past three vintages, Riesling 2006 is one of my favourite rieslings of the CO vintage along with felton road, the pinot noir 2006 which I have not tasted yet is supposed to be excellent. Felton Road needs no introduction, good pinot, good riesling, improving chardonnay, enough said.
Olssens of bannockburn I don’t have much experience with, but many good things said about their top label pinots. Quartz reef are worth searching out for Pinot Noir in some vintages, and their sparklings are getting better and better each vintage. Carrick have very good riesling, and chardonnay, and well regarded Pinot, but a love it or hate it style. Kawarau estate have some very nice european styled pinots and chardonnays, which vintage depending can be very good, and is well worth a visit.
There is also the tasting facility in queenstown which you can pay to try various wines from all over NZ and also purchase, this caters for a number of the cellar doorless wineries as well so can be a good place to stop.
Hope that helps some,
D
May 6th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hi D (Dayle?),
Thank YOU!
Awesome awesome. I’ve had both the Carrick reserve level and cheaper level pinots and liked but not loved them. Never tried Mt Difficulty but been meaning to and thought I’d try it when I’m there.
Never heard of Rippon, will google now! I’m very curious about the different residual sweetness Reislings NZ is experimenting with there. Do you think CO is a good place for them? I really should get get a general idea of the different vintages for each varietal before I go.
Also have put the tasting room in Queenstown on my list of places to circle! They do a similar thing in Japan for sake tasting at a railway station. You can sit in a mineral hot tub, taste sake and then get on a train.
Thanks again I appreciate it,
Z
May 6th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Oh. I meant to add my little bit. I’ve only been to one Central Otago winery - Gibbston Valley which was a bit commercialised and a pay for tasting sort of thing. That was in 2000 whilst staying in Queenstown for boarding. Good wines though - if not inexpensive.
Favourite CO wineries would be Peregrine, Carrick and Felton Road.
GW
May 6th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Thanks Gary
Have always admired Peregrine so will go too. It’s funny visiting wineries, the commercial ones were often not the ones you thought would be before visiting them. My partner is from the area and we;ll have free accom, so more dollars for the cellar.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Don’t forget the hills, ie around Alexandra. There are nice B&Bs there like HAWKDUN RISE, google them! I would also suggest you visit Arrowtown and if you like cinema, Dorothy Brown cinema. Grant Taylor of Valli knows all.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Cheers David, we are staying in free accommodation a “crib” in Arrowtown! Nice and close. Thanks for all the tips everyone. It will be a bit of a wine pilgrimage (aren’t they all!).