Ghost Rock (NSW)

Established in 1999, Ghost Rock came to life when Colin and Cate Arnold purchased the Patrick's Creek vineyard (planted in 1989) at Northdown, just outside Devonport in Northern Tasmania. Here, just a few minutes from where the Spirit of Tasmania ferry docks and but an hour's drive from Cradle Mountain, the vineyards enjoy a maritime climate overlooking Bass Strait, producing immaculately ripened fruit of particular freshness and complexity.

Over the ensuing 20-odd years the Arnold family would continue planting out additional vineyards, substantially with Pinot Noir (and a good dozen different clones at that!), but also with Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and a little Sauvignon Blanc. And before they knew it, they had almost single-handedly created the wine region now dubbed Tasmania's Cradle Coast.

In 2017 Colin and Cate's son Justin and his wife Alicia Peardon took over the business and have continued to turn out new and exciting wines, earning 5-star recognition from the Halliday Wine Companion, amongst many other accolades. Justin takes care of the winemaking, having honed his skills at Coldstream Hills, Devil's Lair and at Etude in California's Carneros Creek, whilst Alicia manages the Cellar Door and Eatery.

Today the wines fall into three ranges: the Estate and Single Vineyard wines are self-explanatory, whilst the Supernatural wines make up Ghost Rock's 'Lo-Fi' range. Or as Justin has put it,

'Creativity and deliciousness rule the roost within this portfolio, bound to one rule only; high quality, estate-grown fruit as the source component. The rest is in the imagination and the craft. The range follows a ‘LoFi’ mantra of being wild ferment driven and exclusively unfined/unfiltered/low SO2.'

SPARKLING WINES

2023 Supernatural Pet Nat
73 % Chardonnay, 20 % Pinot Noir and 7 % Riesling picked on varietal ripeness. The juice was chilled, settled and racked prior to a wild fermentation in stainless steel. Bottled just before the end of the primary ferment to produce a gentle fizz (about half the gas pressure of a typical Champagne, for example).
12.0 % Alc/Vol; 0.42 g/l RS; 3.15 pH; 8.2 g/l TA.

’Ruby grapefruit colour. Lush stone fruits, melded together with citrus rind and hints of berries. Yeasty, zesty, full of life. Crisp and refreshing, the lighter alcohol and fresh acidity quenches the palate and makes it a perfect summer drop.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

‘A blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and Riesling, which sounds like a pretty darn good trio to blend. Pale pink in the glass with a lovely, vibrant foam raising up and up. Light strawberry flavours, some faint stone fruit, a touch of stone fruit with a big whizz of green apple and saline-mineral crunch going through. Quite a light on flavour profile, but refreshing and tightly wound in a pleasing way. Delightful drinking. Crown Seal. Drink 2024-2026.’ 92 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2022 Zoe Brut Rosé
60 % Pinot Noir, 40 % Chardonnay, the Pinot sourced from the Clairdown and Bonadale vineyards, the Chardonnay from Oulton and Bonadale. Hand picked and whole-bunch pressed. Cool-fermented in stainless steel, then matured in a mix of stainless steel and large neutral oak cask for 9 months. Secondary ferment in bottle followed by 48+ months ageing on lees in bottle prior to disgorgement and re-corking with a Brut dosage of 7.4 g/l.
12.5 % Alc/Vol; 7.4 g/l RS; 3.32 pH; 6.8 g/l TA.

’Rose gold. Aromatic and intense, notes of stone fruits, honey, strawberry, and cream layer this complex bouquet. Rich and complex, the palate is deliciously moreish. A vibrant acidity balances the richness and provides that liveliness and freshness Tasmanian sparkling ins renowned for.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2019 Catherine Cuvée Exceptionelle - due August
60 % Chardonnay, 40 % Pinot Noir, hand picked and whole-bunch pressed. Cool-fermented in stainless steel, then matured in a mix of stainless steel and large neutral oak cask for 9 months. Secondary ferment in bottle followed by 40 months ageing on lees in bottle prior to disgorgement and re-corking with and Extra-Brut dosage of 6 g/L.
12.6 % Alc/Vol; 4.0 g/l RS; 3.2 pH; 6.2 g/l TA.

’Light gold. Delicious complexity and layering. Citrus blossom, buttered croissant, quince, and wet stone. Texture and style define this release. Clean, fresh acidity lined by texture and length. In addition, the wine has developed a more-ish creaminess that is lifted and bound by defining acidity. The warmer vintage warranted less dosage, as ripe fruit shines through the palate.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

SUPERNATURAL RANGE

Creativity and deliciousness rule the roost within the Ghost Rock Supernatural range, bound to one rule only: high quality, estate-grown fruit as the source component. The rest is in the imagination and the craft. The range follows a ‘LoFi’ mantra of being wild-ferment driven and exclusively unfined, unfiltered and low SO2.

Small batches. One-off productions. Things that make you think. Things that make you go ‘wow’.

2023 Supernatural Illusions
100 % Pinot Noir, a mix of several clones, from the Bonadale, Oulton and Clairdown vineyards. Whole-bunch pressed under oxidative conditions. Wild-yeast fermented, with high solids in a mix of barriques and puncheons with 15 % new oak and weekly lees stirring. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
13.5 % Alc/Vol; 1.7 g/L RS; 3.33 pH; 6.9 g/L TA.

‘Pale gold. Subtle hints of oak. Lemon curd, lime peel, fresh cream, biscuit, and beeswax. Lively rounded acidity encompasses the palate. Delicate phenolic texture and slight creamy tones support the mouthfeel. Refreshing and enticing.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2022 Supernatural Psycho - last bottles
82 % Gewürztraminer, 12 % Pinot Gris and 6 % other varieties. In all, three parcels, each wild-yeast fermented, with varying degrees of skin contact. Matured in seasoned French oak barrels for 5 months with occasional lees stirring. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
13.9 % Alc/Vol; 1.1 g/L RS; 3.6 pH; 5.6 g/L TA.

2023 Supernatural Psycho - coming soon
60 % Gewürztraminer, 25 % Pinot Gris and 15 % Riesling. The Gewürztraminer was sourced from a well-known vineyard in the Tamar Valley with an excellent reputation for growing this varietal. The fruit was left destemmed and soaking on skins for 2 days to draw out unique flavour compounds prior to being pressed off and allowed to wild-ferment in tank. The Pinot Gris that later joined it was also left on skins for 2 days prior to pressing, and wild fermented and aged in neutral barrels. The Riesling portion was drawn off one of our Estate tanks to add freshness and vivacity. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
14.1 % Alc/Vol; 3.4 g/L RS; 3.41 pH; 6.8 g/L TA.

‘Hazy amber. Ripe stone fruits, peaches and nectarine, and tropical lychee. A hint of cinnamon and ginger spice. A richly weighted and textural palate, balanced with enough acidity to keep it fresh and the spicy aftertaste lingering.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

‘Not very psycho, just a straight up excellent textural white wine in the vein of top flight Alsace or similar practitioners in Australia. Lychee, gooseberry, guava gently pressed into green almond, bright, freshening white balsamic lift, lemon floral notes and mandarin tang. It finishes dry and slightly chalky and yet juicy. It does a lot. Drink 2024-2028.’ 93 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2023 Supernatural Cellar Rat
60 % Pinot Gris and 40 % Riesling. Delegated to Ghost Rock’s visiting harvest winemaker each year, Cellar Rat’s third rendition was created by Italian Chiara Barbabianca. Chiara took some whole-berry destemmed Riesling and transferred it into 1 tonne fermenters. She topped them up by drawing off already fermenting Pinot Gris juice from tank. This started the juicy skin contact fermentations, which were plunged daily and pressed at dryness. The wines were aged for a short period in neutral oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
13.8 % Alc/Vol; 1.5 g/L RS; 3.56 pH; 7.1 g/L TA.

‘Hazy orange rose. Lifted notes of rose, nectarine, yellow apple, and candied orange peel, underlined by a savoury nutty character. Skinsy phenolics are forefront, but not overdone. Balanced with fresh acidity, this wine is layered and complex.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2023 Supernatural Summer Skins
40 % Pinot Noir, 30 % Pinot Gris, 20 % Gewürztraminer, 10 % Chardonnay. The Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir parcels were co-fermented with wild yeast on full skins. The Gewürz and Chardonnay parcels were each fermented separately on full skins. Matured in seasoned French oak barrels for 5 months with occasional lees stirring. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
13.2 % Alc/Vol; 0.33 g/L RS; 3.65 pH; 5.8 g/L TA.

‘Hazy ruby. Muddled strawberries, rose petal, fresh cream, and hints of delicate spices. Textural, lifted, and fresh. Salivating acidity leads to a moreish palate. Quaffable and crushable, this wine begs to be chilled.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

‘Lots of personality here. A bit of crunch and chew to this, red fruited, sweet and sour cherry elements, cranberry tang, some dried herb, amaro, blood orange going on. Fine, fresh and chewy elements, a bit dusty in the most pleasant way. Almost like a negroni with ice melted in. This is superb drinking. Drink 2024-2028.’ 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2023 Supernatural Pinot Noir
100 % Pinot Noir predominantly from estate vineyards, with 11 % from the East Coast. All up, 10 different clones bring great complexity to the wine. Each parcel was wild-yeast fermented and hand-plunged daily. Matured in 15 % new French oak barriques for 6 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with low SO2.
13.6 % Alc/Vol; 0.5 g/L RS; 3.74 pH; 5.7 g/L TA.

‘Deep Ruby. Bright and lifted, notes of black cherry, strawberry, and cream, with hints of spice beneath. Lifted aromatics continue to be the hallmark of our Supernatural Pinot Noir. A soft palate with integrated tannins and a plush fruit spectrum. Vibrant natural acidity keeps the flavour lingering.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

‘This pinot noir is distinguished for its higher toned, vibrant feel and grip to texture – distinct from the wines that go into the Estate program. Unfined and unfiltered here too, plus wild ferment. Fleshy, pulpy, juicy, dark cherries, cola, Campari, violets, woody spice, smoky paprika, aniseed. A vibrant, easy drinking style with enough structural mettle to impress pinotphiles while offering others a chillable red of verve and pucker. It’s a great drink. Fun. Good. Great! Drink 2024-2028.’ 92 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

ESTATE RANGE

2023 Estate Riesling
100 % Riesling from the Oulton, Bonadale, and Iris vineyards, gently harvested and directly pressed. Cold-fermented in stainless steel until the desired sugar/acid balance was achieved, then kept on stirred lees for three months. In addition, two neutral oak barrels were filled (< 5 % of volume) for five weeks to build textural complexity.
11.7 % Alc/Vol; 4.4 g/L RS; 2.96 pH; 9.9 g/L TA.

‘Medium straw. A symphony of fruits are on aromatic display. Yellow pear, grapefruit, pomegranate and star fruit create a lovely bouquet with hints of fresh honey. True to style, the palate is a ping-pong between residual sugar – seen as upfront fruit and the region’s hallmark acidic structure, providing genuine length and presence to the back palate. A true dedication to Riesling’s remarkable dichotomy.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2023 Estate Pinot Gris - sold out, 2024 due August
100 % Pinot Gris, fully ripened to enhance its delicious fruit profile, then gently harvested and directly pressed. 95 % cold-fermented in stainless steel and 5 % in 500 L French oak puncheons until the desired sugar/acid balance was achieved.
14.2 % Alc/Vol; 2.7 g/L RS; 3.31 pH; 6.6 g/L TA.

‘Pure, pale straw. A powerful yet nuanced portrayal of hallmark Pinot Gris - spicy pear, honeydew melon, and green apple. Deliciously lush on entry and in the mid palate, whilst our region’s lively acidity delivers freshness, length and structure.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2023 Estate Chardonnay
100 % Chardonnay from the Bonadale, Oulton, and Filles vineyards, where the vines were pruned to 20-25 buds for optimal fruit-to-vine ratios. The hand selected fruit was pressed while still cold, with high solids retained to promote texture and complexity. A mix of wild and inoculated ferments was chosen to gain a full spectrum of flavour. Following alcoholic fermentation the wine underwent partial malolactic and regular lees stirring. Matured in 25 % new French oak barriques for 9 months. Bottled unfined, so vegan friendly.
13.1 % Alc/Vol; 0.7 g/L RS; 3.24 pH; 8.3 g/L TA.

‘Pale gold. A lovely aroma expressing the full spectrum of a cool climate Chardonnay. Lime blossom, almond meal, lemon peel, hints of biscuit and chalk. The palate has a generous weight and glossy texture, balanced with a through-line acidity that keeps the flavour going, and going. One of our best years of Chardonnay.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2022 Estate Pinot Noir
100 % Pinot Noir including eight different clones sourced predominantly from estate vineyards on the southern sides of the road, La Filles and Iris. The ferments were predominantly wild ferments with some batches seeing a few days cold-soak. All ferments were hand-plunged twice daily. Matured in 35 % new French oak barriques for 11 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, so vegan friendly.
13.8 % Alc/Vol; 0.47 g/L RS; 3.67 pH; 5.7 g/L TA.

’Dried cranberry colour. Crushed stone reduction notes lifts flavours of spice and fruit out of the glass. Cinnamon, clove, plum, raspberry, and cherry. This vintage produced a mid-weighted body that is delicate and elegant. Savoury spices are kept fresh on the palate by a balanced and lively natural acidity.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

2023 Estate Pinot Noir - due August
100 % Pinot Noir including eight different clones sourced predominantly from estate vineyards on the southern sides of the road, La Filles and Iris. The ferments were predominantly wild ferments with some batches seeing a few days cold-soak. All ferments were hand-plunged twice daily. Matured in 35 % new French oak barriques for 11 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, so vegan friendly.
13.9 % Alc/Vol; 0.45 g/L RS; 3.52 pH; 6.3 g/L TA.

’Medium ruby red. Highly intense and aromatic nose, with equal parts red fruits and dark fruits. Ripe raspberries, dried cranberry, black cherry, and plum. The hallmark spice bouquet of our region lingers subtly in the background, revealing black pepper, cardamom and nutmeg. The palate is full-weighted and plush with fruit, soft silky tannins, and a lovely supporting structure.’ Justin Arnold, Winemaker.

‘Elegant, soft, dark fruit, spices, touches of turned earth, gravelly tannin profile, dried herbs, liquorice, touches of sea spray and some smokiness generally. Quite a good deal of concentration and richness with a stretch of flavour and spice inherent. A powerful, almost shiraz-for-pinot-lovers kind of feel. It works. Drink 2024-2032.’ 92 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

SINGLE VINEYARD RANGE

Each year, the seven Ghost Rock vineyards compete for the honour of being bottled as a Single Vineyard wine. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit is picked, fermented and matured separately, by vineyard source. Each parcel is treated individually in deference to its particular characteristics before the stand-outs for the year are selected and bottled as Ghost Rock Single Vineyard wines.

2023 Bonadale Chardonnay - coming soon
Planted in 2010, the Bonadale Vineyard is Ghost Rock’s highest and most sun-exposed site. Despite its sun exposure, the ripening season in this vineyard is elongated due to the consistent presence of cooling ocean breezes. Broadly speaking, this manifests fruit of elegance, sophistication, and structure. Fruit for this wine was selected strictly from clone I10V1, which is a pure expression of Chardonnay. Vines were heavily de-leafed prior to veraison to maximize UV exposure and air flow.

The fruit was gently pressed and settled in tank before being racked to barrels at 250 NTU (turbidity). It was barrel fermented in 30% new French oak and malolactic fermentation was encouraged, but then arrested at 50% completion. The wine was then left to age in barrel, with occasional lees stirring.
13.1 % Alc/Vol; 3.2 pH; 8.3 g/L TA.

‘All the single site wine is tasted and then worked out if it sits in a single vineyard wine or not, each year. This one made it. It sees 30% new, French oak. Succulent, vivid portrait of chardonnay. Nectarine. Apricot. Green apple. Nashi pear. Touches of cinnamon, cardamom, sage-butter. Core of limey, granular acidity. Drives with great energy, good concentration yet freshness with a long trail of saline minerality. This drinks with ease, interest and deliciousness. Drink 2024-2032.’ 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2022 La Filles Pinot Noir - last bottles
Planted in 2014. Filles is Ghost Rock’s lowest, most sheltered vineyard. Intuitively, fruit from this vineyard is some of the earliest harvested. This is in opposition to the Bonadale Vineyard. Soil profiles are loam/clay over sand bases, akin to that of the Climat Vineyard, which it neighbours (but sits much lower than). Its long, flat North/South rows make for consistent, warm growing conditions which translate into intense, deep aromatics within its fruit profile. Clones for this wine were an even split of 777 and 114.
13.2 % Alc/Vol; 3.48 pH; 5.7 g/L TA.

’Planted 2015 which makes it a younger vineyard. The blind single vineyard tastings saw this selected for being special, “super concentrated, juicy, aromatic, just awesome”, says winemaker Sierra Blair. Supple and thick set but with this sense of energy, concentrated red berry fruits, sweet spice, a touch of milk chocolate and some minty, leafy herb underlying. Lusher style pinot but distinct pinosity, silkiness and glide. Bolder, almost California-esque feel to the wine, though I loathe comparsons as such. Anyway, it is very good.’ 93 points, Mike Bennie, winefront, March ‘23

2023 Bonadale Pinot Noir - coming soon
Planted in 2010, the Bonadale Vineyard is Ghost Rock’s highest and most sun-exposed site. Despite its sun exposure, the ripening season in this vineyard is elongated due to the consistent presence of cooling ocean breezes. Broadly speaking, this manifests fruit of elegance, sophistication, and structure. Fruit for this wine was selected from the 777 and 667 clones in equal amounts. These were the ripest parcels of Pinot Noir fruit from within the vineyard. Vines were heavily de-leafed prior to veraison to maximize UV exposure and air flow.

Fruit was 100% destemmed and allowed to ferment spontaneously. Hand plunged daily and pressed when dry, the wine was matured in 33% new French oak, racked off lees in the summer, and bottled after 10 months of maturation.
13.6 % Alc/Vol; 3.8 pH; 5.3 g/L TA.

‘The single sites of Ghost Rock get blind tasted and classified, separated, then shuffled to work out if they end up as these single site designation wines. Rigorous stuff. The idea is to pick the two blocks that are distinct, but bookends of the spectrum that make up the Estate Pinot Noir wine. Cherry, cranberry, raspberry fruit profile with this guttural, game meat, turned earth, garam masala spice with granite and slate-like mineral qualities and a swish of Italianate tannin, al dente and puckering. A little sweetish, fruity, red balsamic lift, a charm in the mix of the more elemental elements. Vibrant expression, good for going longer in cellar too. Drink 2025-2033.’ 93+ points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2023 Iris Pinot Noir - coming soon
Planted in 2015, the Iris vineyard is one of the windiest, most exposed sites on the property. The wind forces the berries to produce thicker skins as a defence mechanism, thus creating deep coloured wines with excellent structure and ageing potential. Iris has been producing Pinot Noir of incredible power and concentration over the last few seasons, but during the blind classifications of the 2024 wines, this batch stood out amongst its peers as one of the best, thus launching it into Single Vineyard status for the very first time.

This wine is a single clonal selection, from the 777 clone which preforms exceptionally well on this site. The grapes were destemmed and allowed to ferment spontaneously. Once fermenting, it was plunged twice daily until dry, when it was pressed and sent to a barrel selection with 35% new French oak. Malolactic fermentation completed at the start of spring. The wine was racked and blended and sent down to oak again for further integration and aging. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
14.3 % Alc/Vol; 3.63 pH; 6.1 g/L TA.

’This is the first time this vineyard has made the Single Vineyard designation. Clone 777 is the base of this vineyard. About 35% new oak. Sappy, chewy, fleshy, dark cherries, Black Forest cake, salted liquorice, dark chocolate and minty herbal notes. Pulpy in texture with a rumble of hazy, smoky tannins. Finishes bright, blood orange fresh and pleasing bitter. It feels a little hands off the wheel in the best sense, expressive, vibrant and deep. Charisma plus. Drinkability too. Drink 2024-2035.’ 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.

2023 Climat Pinot Noir - coming soon
Planted in 2014 and converted to Organics in 2019. The only such vineyard on the estate. Its sheltered, northern slope and well-drained loam over sand soils provide the ideal conditions for outstanding Pinot Noir viticulture. The clonal mix for the 2023 vintage was D5V12 (52 %), 777 (23 %), MV6 (13 %) and D4V2 (12 %).

Clones were individually picked on ripeness and fermented in two separate lots. They were wild fermented with zero additions. Hand plunged twice daily, pressed when dry. Wild malolactic fermentation completed in the spring, creating a deeper coloured and layered wine. Aged exclusively in all 1-year-old French oak barrels. Sulfur was the only addition, added at bottling.
14.1 % Alc/Vol; 3.69 pH; 6.7 g/L TA.

‘There are seven single vineyards of Ghost Rock, per se, this is one of them, and it gets made each year. Wild ferment, no additions, no filtering and no fining, a touch of sulphur for preserving. Organic farmed. It’s got softness and spread, a suppleness and flow, dark cherry, earthiness, sappy botanical elements, a touch of game meat and woody-savoury elements. It’s so pure and yet rich, a generosity in its layers of flavour, aroma, texture. It’s got a faint core of crushed rock minerality too. A wild streak, perhaps, lending charm and personality. I love this. Drinkability and complexity, with purity, hand-in-hand. Drink 2024-2030.’ 95 points, Mike Bennie, The Winefront, April 2024.