Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 is a Central Otago Pinot Noir from the Kopuwai Delta Vineyard in Pisa, on a high terrace above the Clutha River. This wine has raspberry, red cherry and rose with tea and spice, and a very long, elegant finish.
Sophora shows perfumed aromas from the first sniff. The aromas are raspberry and red cherry with rose petals, then tea and dusty spices, and the palate follows with blood orange, delicate spice and dried herb.
Prophet's Rock made 24 barrels of the 2024. It's a Pinot Noir for a relaxed dinner with friends who like a perfumed, elegant style.
The fruit comes from the Kopuwai Delta Vineyard in Pisa, on a high terrace directly above the Clutha River at 225 m. The soils are free-draining schist and the vines are low vigour.
What it tastes like
This wine is a sparkling bright ruby colour. The aromas on the nose are open and perfumed, with red fruit, especially raspberry and red cherry, and rose florals, plus tea and dusty spices.
On the palate there's red fruit with blood orange, delicate spices and dried herb. The finish is elegant and very long.
Style at a glance
- Body: light to medium
- Acidity: fresh
- Oak: 11 months in barrel, 20% new
- Style: perfumed, red-fruited, spiced, elegant, long
Food to enjoy this with
Best enjoyed with roast chicken with herbs, duck breast, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto and lamb cutlets all suit its red fruit and spice. One unexpected match is a mild Moroccan chicken tagine, because the wine's delicate spice and dried herb sit well with the cumin and cinnamon.
Who makes it
Prophet's Rock is in Bendigo, Central Otago. Paul Pujol is the winemaker.
The fruit is handpicked and destemmed, then fermented with wild yeast in small open-top tanks that are hand-plunged only once, so extraction stays low. The wine spent 11 months in barrel (20% new) and went through malolactic fermentation (the conversion of sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid) with wild yeast. Yields are managed at 30–35 hl/ha, about 4 t/ha.
About the vintage
Prophet's Rock describes the 2024 season as one with a mild finish to winter and a stable spring. Fruit set in December was warm and dry, and the weather stayed stable from mid-March through harvest, which allowed selective picking. Sophora was picked in the first week of April.
Stephen Wong (Master of Wine), writing in The Real Review, described the 2024 Central Otago vintage as one of exceptional concentration and structure. He noted that flavour ripeness came at moderate sugar levels with balanced acidity.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Prophet's Rock |
| Wine: |
Sophora Pinot Noir |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
Pinot Noir |
| Region: |
Central Otago (Pisa) |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Alcohol: |
13.5% |
| Oak: |
11 months in barrel (20% new) |
| Fermentation: |
Wild yeast, hand-plunged once; wild malolactic fermentation |
| Closure: |
Diam cork |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 is available via our winenz.com website. For delivery in New Zealand you can purchase from thewineryonline.co.nz. If you are visiting New Zealand, you can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine.
Questions we are often asked
What does Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 taste like?
Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 shows raspberry, red cherry and rose with tea and dusty spice. The palate adds blood orange and dried herb, with an elegant, very long finish.
Where is Sophora Pinot Noir grown?
Sophora comes from Prophet's Rock's Kopuwai Delta Vineyard in the Pisa sub-region of Central Otago, on a terrace overlooking the Clutha River.
How much Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 was made?
Prophet's Rock made 24 barrels of the 2024 Sophora.
How long is Sophora Pinot Noir aged in barrel?
The 2024 Sophora spent 11 months in barrel, 20% of them new.
Where can I buy Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024?
The Winery ships Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir 2024 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. It is also available in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
