Scapegrace + Prophets Rock Vermouth
Two of New Zealand’s leading wine and spirits companies have combined their expertise to create two of the country’s first vintage vermouths.
Scapegrace has teamed up with neighbours, and world-renowned winemakers Prophet’s Rock, on the Scapegrace + Prophet’s Rock Vermouth, which will be available in both a red and a white.
The vermouth boasts a distinctly New Zealand flavour having been made almost exclusively with ingredients from Central Otago. The base wine has been made using grapes sourced exclusively from two of Prophets Rocks' single vineyard parcels of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. After being barrel aged for 10 months in French oak, the wine has been infused with Central Otago foraged botanicals, including rosemary, thyme, kanuka and elderflower. Most of the botanicals were foraged from within a few hundred metres of the vineyard, and harvested at their peak ripeness, before being carefully made into tinctures in neutral Scapegrace spirit.
The finished White Vermouth is beautifully bright, dry and herbaceous. The Red Vermouth, rich, spiced and generous.
“The Vermouth really tastes of Central Otago, and the special thing with it being a single vintage is that it reflects the 2022 season as well”
Said Prophet’s Rock General Manager and Winemaker Paul Pujol.
“The Vermouth has been built on a foundation of small single parcels of barrel-aged fine wine before we added the botanicals. We’ve brought a high level of craft and an artisanal approach to the project, and you can really taste that in the quality of the Vermouth.”
The two premium producers began working on the idea for the Vermouth four years ago when Scapegrace moved its headquarters near Prophet’s Rock in Central Otago.
“We actually needed them to sign a resource consent for us to operate nearby and we just got chatting and that was the genesis of the vermouth,” says Neal.
“We’re really excited about this collaboration and it’s fantastic to have a premium New Zealand made Vermouth on the market.”
The vintage is extremely limited with only 3,000 bottles for sale. It has an RRP of $72.00 and is available for trade via Hancocks Wines & Spirits, specialist outlets nationwide or online.
The Scapegrace Prophet’s Rock vermouth can be enjoyed neat, over rocks, built with soda / tonic / mixer, or in classic vermouth cocktails. Explore our Signature Serves below.
