2023 Prophet's Rock Sophora Pinot Noir, Central Otago

A gorgeous pinot noir that showcases the Kopuwai Delta Vineyard in the Pisa sub-region of Central Otago, destemmed and matured for 11 months in French oak, 20% new. Mid-ruby with a bright core of mineral-dredged dark cherry and red plum fruits with hints of medina spice, a touch of powdered ginger, dried raspberry, crushed rock, wild flowers, almond paste, judicious nutty oak and mountain herbs. Sleek and savoury with a long stretch of flavour and ripe, silty tannins on the backend, there’s a really lovely energy and a sense of ‘precision with power’ to this release. Drink to 2041.

95+ points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2026

Subtle, multifarious layers of perfumed complexity from wildflowers and dried herb to raspberry bush and baking spice, all delicately arrayed across the light-weight but energetic palate. Very smooth and silky, the flavours come together towards roasted nuts, oyster-shell minerality and a hint of flint on the back-palate before expanding again with airiness and savoury, mushroomy interest on the finish. A beautifully light and intricate pinot with fascinating flow and delicacy, this is finely poised and will evolve slowly. Drink to 2040.

95 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, November 2025

This is the first time that this cuvée has been bottled separately, and the vines are grown in very fine schist gravels; the vineyard site has essentially been the recipient of every glacial deposit in the area. The winemaking is mostly the same as the Home and Oleria (Rocky Point) vineyard wine. This vintage sees slightly less time in oak but more time in bottle, but otherwise, it gets the same treatment as the other wines—most particularly, very gentle extraction during fermentation. Aromatically, the 2023 Sophora Pinot Noir is mineral and rocky, with a pure core of pomegranate pearls, pink peppercorn and crushed rocks, with pressed flowers and green olive tapenade as well. The palate is silky and plush, with seamless fruit and phenolic interplay. The whole berry/destemmed fruit is silky and fine. This bears all the hallmarks of the Prophet's Rock Pinot Noir style, viewed here through the lens of the 2023 vintage. It's a beautiful wine. It's good to see the three wines from the three sites here together, as they sort of span the valley. Drink to 2043.

95 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, June 2025

Aromas of dark cherries, wild raspberries, orange peel and lead pencil. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and vivid acidity, giving notes of blackberries, blood oranges, dried herbs and crushed river-stones. Balanced and bright with a real purity and a mineral edge. The premier release of this new addition to Prophet’s Rock pinots. Drink or hold.

95 points James Suckling, November 2024

Prophet’s Rock Sophora Pinot Noir is an elegant and finely etched expression of one of New Zealand’s most distinctive vineyard sites. Crafted by winemaker Paul Pujol, it showcases his signature philosophy of minimal intervention and quiet precision — allowing the unique soils, altitude and microclimate of the Bendigo subregion to define the wine. Sophora, named after the native kōwhai tree that blooms across the vineyard, represents purity, fragrance and a sense of place.

The Sophora vineyard sits high on the slopes above Lake Dunstan, where schist soils, long sunlight hours and cool alpine nights create fruit with remarkable intensity and balance. The grapes are hand picked and carefully sorted, then fermented using wild yeasts in small open-top vats, with around 25 percent whole bunches to enhance aromatic lift and tannin texture. The wine is aged for about 17 months in French oak barrels, with only a small proportion new, before being bottled without fining or filtration.

In the glass it shimmers a translucent ruby red. The aroma is pure and perfumed, with layers of red cherry, wild strawberry, rose petal and thyme over subtle notes of spice, truffle and crushed stone. The palate is medium bodied and silky, showing great finesse and energy, with bright acidity and fine-grained tannins carrying flavours of red fruit, forest floor and mineral. The finish is long, savoury and graceful — a quiet reflection of both place and craftsmanship.

It pairs beautifully with duck, lamb, mushroom risotto or game birds, and it’s equally at home with truffle dishes or roasted root vegetables. While superb in its youth for perfume and purity, it will evolve beautifully for 10 to 15 years, gaining layers of earthy complexity and depth with time.