Judge Rock
36 Hillview Rd, Alexandra
Ph/fax: 03-448 5059
Email: wines@judgerock.co.nz
www.judgerock.co.nz.
Owners: Paul Jacobson & Angela Chiaroni
Manager/Sales: Angela Chiaroni
Winemakers: Carol Bunn
Wine sales: Mail order, retail, Internet
Price range: $22.50-$32
Winery tastings: By appointment
Paul and Angela’s vineyard is situated on a sloping alluvial fan at Hillview Road below the airport plateau on the outskirts of Alexandra, Central Otago, New Zealand . The soil consists of 27m depth of fine schist and greywacke river sands. The vineyard is sheltered from the north western and southern winds.
In the Christmas edition of Cuisine magazine 2007 Steve Smith, Master of Wine, judge of near 200 New Zealand Pinot Noirs for the said "this is the most exciting tasting I've been involved in. The word I've used more than any other is beautiful." The five star club, previously the exclusive domain of the more established brands was crashed by three small wineries representing a new generation of excellence. The new kids on the block to win five stars included Judge Rock Pinot Noir 2006 which also won a Best Buy award. Angela Jacobson, who runs the Judge Rock vineyard said; "Our vision is to make elegant and sensuous wine" and in partnership with winemaker Carol Bunn that criteria was fulfilled. Carol says that Alexandra Pinot Noir is "more spicy, more elegant, more herbal”. The Judge Rock 2006 Pinot Noir also won a gold medal in the Liquorland International Top 100 competition.
The family owned 5ha Judge Rock Vineyard focuses exclusively on Pinot Noir and is available in small quantities on line from www.judgerock.co.nz.
Also as an experiment Judge Rock have 0.5 ha of St Laurent an old Pinot Noir derived variety from Austria. The first wine is some two years away. 
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