Richard Bunton began working on Rockburn wines in 1991 as a pastime. In the Central Otago region, which was largely unknown at the time, he planted a few hectares of vineyard. Malcolm Francis, a winemaker, moved to the area in 2005 from Felton Road, where his abilities were instantly recognised when he received the Elite Gold Medal. This is a brand-new entry on the global Pinot Noir scene that is incredibly exciting.
The rocky, rock-strewn, burn-scarred landscape of Central Otago is where Rockburn gets its name. Rockburn, which is located on the 45th parallel, has a climate comparable to Burgundy. To the west of the vineyards are mountains with rainforest-covered seaward slopes that receive 5,000mm of rain annually.
Less than 25mm of rain fall falls on a desolate, lunar-like landscape to the east each year. The Rockburn vineyards, which are producing Pinot Noir of breathtaking quality, are located in the middle of these two extremes. The vines are planted in two locations: Gibbston, which has topsoil over alluvial gravel soils, and Parkburn, where the soil is loam over river gravel. The vines are trained using the Vertical Shoot Positioning system and are Pinot Noir clones 10/5, 5,6, Abel, 667, and 777.
