JUDGE ROCK

"The Judge Rock vision is elegant sensuous intimate Pinot Noir. Paul and Angela Jacobson (nee Chiaroni)'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. The Chiaroni family was started in New Zealand by Ambrogio(Ambrose) Chiaroni, from Germasino, (prononced Jer-maa-zi-no) near Dongo and Lake Como, Northern Italy. He was Angela's great great uncle and he established an art and stone importation and retail business at 24 George Street in Dunedin. Later Mansueto and Ambrigio (junior) his nephew and Angela's Grandfather came out in the 1890s and they settled in Invercargill and Dunedin respectively and ran art businesses there."
"The inspiration for our wine label Judge Rock comes from the little known schist landmark called Old Judge Rock on the southern road entry into central Otago at Millers Flat where Paul grew up. The only reference I have found is in Historic Central Otago by FWG Miller illustrated by Colin V Wheeler published by AH Reed 1970. To avoid confusion we have used Judge Rock rather than Old Judge Rock as our label." - Judge Rock.