We can’t understate how special this is. In short, Cuvée Aux Antipodes Blanc is Central Otago Chardonnay made by one of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers from a great Kiwi vineyard, in the sub region of Pisa. Francois Millet (of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé and Francois Millet et Fills) was so enamoured with Central Otago, he now collaborates with Paul Pujol to make wine from a plot of his choosing at Prophet’s Rock. Francois visits every year, and in his absence, Paul follows his instruction to a T. Layered around energetic, linear freshness is a concentrated core of just-ripe stone fruit. It’s silky and textured Chardonnay, but rather than tasting ‘built’ we’d describe it as a luminous reflection of place.

Winemaker Paul Pujol remembers the first time he saw snow on the ground in November at Prophet Rock’s Bendigo vineyards. The adage that the greatest wines come from marginal climates really plays out here. Having honed his craft with European legends (Maison Kuentz-Bas and Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé), Paul’s sophisticated expressions of this beautiful and extreme part of the world are among New Zealand’s best.