Rockburn takes its name from the rugged, rock-strewn, burn-scarred landscape of Central Otago. Located on the 45th parallel, Rockburn shares a continental climate similar to Burgundy. The estate vineyards are located in Gibbston and are flanked by mountains to the west, whose seaward slopes are rainforest, receiving 5,000mm of rain per annum. To the east is a barren, moon-like landscape that receives less than 25mm of rain a year. The Pinot Noir grapes for the Twelve Barrels come from a single vineyard, where the Clone 6 vines are trained according to the Vertical Shoot Position method. The vines are planted in Pigburn shallow fine sandy loam soils formed by glacial activity during the ice age. The resulting wine fully expresses the complex subtleties of this terroir, displaying elegance, power and grace generated by the Gibbston Back Road Vineyard site.