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Bottle Shock Why some wines need time to settle What is bottle shock? What causes it? A real-world example: Why timing makes such a difference The payoff of patience Final thoughts “Some wines inspire loyalty - this Tassie Pinot demands it. With my hand on my heart, I cannot fault it. It is incredible.”
2024 Ghost Rock Climat Pinot Noir “Rarely am I left speechless, but I cannot get over this wine’s quality-to-price ratio. I would not mind paying £100 for it… so mesmerising.”
Stuart McCloskey, tasted 28th January 2026 "Confessions of a devoted wineman: this Tasmanian Pinot Noir has stolen my heart. This is my third bottle. Bottle one was sampled under professional conditions (an order was placed). Bottle two was relished across a weekend, leaving me utterly gobsmacked. Do you know what? Some wines inspire loyalty - this Tassie Pinot demands it. With my hand on my heart, I cannot fault it. It is incredible. On Saturday evening, it even reminded me of a very fine, and very expensive Sonoma Pinot. This may well be the biggest faux pas of the year: I should have ordered much, much more. The bouquet dances between fruit and savouriness. Aromatics are heady, intoxicating, and serious: dried rose petals, black tea leaves, autumn hedgerow fruits, leather, warm seashells, blood orange, spice, dried herbs, and mushroom consommé. Very grown-up indeed. The palate flows in a stream of silken fruits. We speak of “flawlessness” - the feel and flow of this wine is harmony personified. Every sip is precise yet effortless, delicate yet multi-layered. Rarely am I left speechless, but I cannot get over this wine’s quality-to-price ratio. I would not mind paying £100 for it… so mesmerising. Tannins grip like a newborn baby. This is Tasmanian Pinot Noir at its absolute finest. Truly outstanding. Drink now to 2036+. Serve using Zalto Burgundy stemware (essential to receive the full impact, or find a glass that is similar in shape and form). I must ask Justin for more, which I will ship later this year. Buy for the cellar if you can. I would also bet £100 (to charity) that I will not encounter another Pinot Noir of the same quality-to-value in 2026." Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The energy levels on this wine are high. Wonderful drive and focus. Such a thoughtful and provocative wine here. Feels so unique in the glass.” Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: SOLD OUT “Stylistically, this reminds me of the exquisite Pinots produced by DuMol... Ridiculously good.”
2024 Ghost Rock La Filles Pinot Noir
Stuart McCloskey, tasted 5th February 2026 “Again - this is, I believe, my third bottle (always best to be thorough!). Characteristically, the bouquet recalls Sonoma Pinot, and a very good one at that. The perfume is drop-dead gorgeous, as is the flavour and texture. In many respects, this should be enticement enough; after all, that’s what wine is all about. For the money, there is nothing to fault. This is certainly one of the most moreish bouquets I’ve inhaled in a long time. It exudes ripeness and power, with fruit firmly on the black-and-blue spectrum. I love the aromatic florals that provide lift, as does a noticeable twang of salinity. The spicing is the sweetest imaginable and utterly delectable - candied lavender alongside fresh mint crushed in the palm of your hand. With aeration, the fruit is gently tamed, turning more brooding in character. It’s packed with layers and finishes with an unmistakable tang of blood orange. With more airtime, black tea emerges, then smoked black tea. The perfume is a storybook all of its own. The palate is simply sumptuous - walking the tightrope between ripeness and adult complexity. Stylistically, this reminds me of the exquisite Pinots produced by DuMol, which I occasionally open at home. Perhaps toned down a smidgeon, but I’m confident in drawing the parallel. Textural silk: this slips and slides with consummate ease. The fruit is exquisite - beginning in blue and purple tones before finishing with high notes of cranberry. Sweet spicing and blood orange carry the experience for minutes. Tannins? The finest, most filigreed imaginable. Don’t be fooled by the lavish description: this wine displays crystalline purity. Such a dreamy bottle of Aussie Pinot. Drink now to 2036 - it will be fascinating to observe its progression over the next 6–8 years. Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware. Ridiculously good…” Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “A thing of aromatic beauty. So seductive and pure. Just wow every time for us. Silky, silky, silky.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £35.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £180.60 – Only £30.10 per bottle “The palate reminds me of Burgundy - Musigny, specifically. Certainly, the most classical and mineral-driven Pinot of the lineup. Stylish, confident...”
2024 Ghost Rock Oulton Pinot Noir
Stuart McCloskey, tasted 5th February 2026 “This beauty requires more airtime. I suggest decanting for an hour or pouring into your glass for 30 minutes before attacking. It’s very, very different from the other two single-vineyard releases which I like to see. Red fruits soar from the glass - redcurrant, cranberry, pomegranate and cherry (with no sign of the black or blue spectrum). I also pick up orchard notes: slightly bruised apples and a distinctly earthy, damp orchard character. Well-rotted mulch, for sure. Blood orange, rosehip, an abundance of florals follow, layered with chalky minerals. So pure, complex, and utterly enticing. The palate reminds me of Burgundy - Musigny, specifically. Red fruits infuse with fresh orange sorbet (you’ll see). There’s wonderful lift and freshness, never sacrificed in favour of opulence. Super spicy, this tingles the senses, with salinity remaining at the core. Bright and edgy, with a pleasing nod to brambly undergrowth. Long - as long as a summer’s day. Tannins are pliant and non-intrusive. Certainly, the most classical and mineral-driven Pinot of the lineup. Stylish, confident, and I suspect it could be very special in 6–8 years’ time.” Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The Burgundy of our portfolio. She’s covered by bramble, forest, spice and clover. And a textural hero in our cluster.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £35.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £180.60 – Only £30.10 per bottle Also available under bond @ £130.75 per case (6x75cl) “Flavours are ripe and concentrated – gosh, they go on for an age. This is an outright charmer and will win you over.”
2024 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot Noir Stuart McCloskey, tasted 21st January 2026 “Put simply, this is so moreish and difficult not to keep returning for another bottle… This does not set itself up to be something it is not. Granted, it lacks the intellectual qualities of the single estate wines however, it does deliver bags of flavour and personality. It is a joy, he says after opening three bottles in the first week of landing in the UK. This is plumptious, juicy, ripe, and puts a whacking big smile on my face following a long day at the office. The bouquet is glorious and invites you into a perfusion of aromatics – deep and pure red fruits, a smidgeon of plum, spice and florals are noticeable. Day two aromatics (same bottle!) or a few hours of aeration – It’s brooding with dark plum, there’s a background of cherry and raspberry sweetness, sandalwood, more spice, dried herbs, negroni vibes for sure (Campari bitterness) along with dried orange peel. The flavours and feel roll around the palate with such ease. Medium-bodied, tannins, acidity, fruit and oak are spread evenly. Silken texture. Flavours are ripe and concentrated – gosh, they go on for an age. This is an outright charmer and will win you over. I have no doubt this will age for 5-8-years however, I have zero intention as this is already singing a great tune today. Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware – essential for the best impact.” Justin Arnold, Owner/Winemaker: “The iconic Tasmanian style. Sophisticated, elegant, concentrated. Old-vine wonder at its very best here.” Bouquet: Palate: Winemaking: Viticulture: £25.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £135.00 – Only £22.50 per bottle Also available under bond @ £186.50 per case (12x75cl) “The perfume engages you from the beginning... Smells of young Burgundies.”
2023 Ghost Rock Estate Chardonnay Stuart McCloskey, tasted 21st January 2026 “Give the wine a few minutes in the glass or better still, decant for 30-minutes and leave in a cool place… The perfume engages you from the beginning. Mineral driven along with oyster shell, apple, lemon, fresh pear, light sea spray, almond, the faintest whisper of honey (but it’s there), olive brine and sweet spice. Smells of young Burgundies. The palate is succulent, characterful, slips between orchard, stone, and citrus fruits – there’s tightness (it’s young), vim and vigour. Salinity is the driver, lots of minerals – lip smacking stuff and very, very delicious. This is already showing signs of complexity, but I predict this hitting its straps in 4-5-years. Really, good… Served using Zalto Burgundy stemware (big bottom glassware a must).” Bouquet: Palate: Vintage: Winemaking: Viticulture: £25.00 per bottle Buy 6 for £132.00 – Only £22.00 per bottle Also available under bond @ £183.60 per case (12x75cl) More from Tasmania… Ricky Evans has firmly established himself as a young gun of the Tasmanian wine scene, crafting high-precision, small-batch wines under his Two Tonne Tasmania label from the Tamar Valley and beyond. “Texturally, this is perfect – sumptuous and impossible to put down... this is perfect from beginning to end.”
Two Tonne Tasmania EST Pinot Noir 2024 Stuart McCloskey, 03 October 2025 “Sampled over two days. Such an entrancing perfume – so seductive. It’s one of those wines that gets you tingling with excitement, and before the first sip. Raspberry, dark cherry, dried orange peel, sous bois, briar, rosehip, packed with spice, potpourri, a tingle from Sichuan pepper, wood smoke, and finally comes to a finish with more blood orange and a smidgeon of star anise. Sensational aromatic journey. There’s much to unravel with the palate. Texturally, this is perfect – sumptuous and impossible to put down. The tannins fit like a made to measure Savile Row suit. Exquisite control of the acidity, too. Fruit takes centre stage with fruitcake spicing adding a lovely touch. She’s medium-bodied, lithe, and very, very long in flavour and experience. A real beauty without knowing it. Amaro bitters and cranberry add such vivacity and complexity. Unquestionably, a class act as this brings a heavenly perfume, the purity of fruit, precision, and control under the one roof. Given the price – this is perfect from beginning to end. Drink now to 2033. The correct glass choice is paramount (I opted for Zalto’s Burgundy stem) and decant, too. One-to-two hours will do nicely.” £25.50 per bottle “Gloriously long and swoons with such elegance...”
Two Tonne Tasmania TMV Pinot Noir 2024 Stuart McCloskey, 03 October 2025 “Sampled over two days. Again, the correct glass choice is paramount (I opted for Zalto’s Burgundy stem) and decant, too. One-to-two hours will do nicely. The perfume brings instant gratification. Dried rose petals and sweet spices waft from the glass. And then we move onto a profusion of aromatics including (but not limited to, as this keeps giving) rosehip, cranberry, wild strawberry, fresh thyme, wood spicing, curry leaf, forest berries are lurking in the background along with an unmissable gust from the sea. Fans of Negroni will identify those telltale aromatics, too. Dried blood orange brings this to a resounding applause. Intense and wonderful. The palate is medium-bodied, gloriously long and swoons with such elegance. The flavours fan out, and the fruits feel on the wild, hedgerow side. Tannins are super-fine and the acidity provides succulence. There’s amaro bitterness on the finish, which I love… This is moreish and ready to be enjoyed today. Equally, this has all the qualities to cellar for 5-8-years. Stunning.” £25.50 per bottle “This is such a fine, detailed example of Tassie Chardonnay. It’s seamless...”
Two Tonne Tasmania TMV Chardonnay 2024 Stuart McCloskey, 3 October 2025 “The bouquet does require some aeration. Do not overchill and do serve in a Zalto Burgundy glass (or similar). At first, this teases with a smidgen of struck match, stone fruits, lemon blossom, yuzu, pink grapefruit, peach, Seaspray and crème fraiche. With more aeration and an increase in temperature, I am particularly drawn to the florals, nougat and sweet ginger spice finish. Packed with brightness. The palate is tightly wound (given its youth), super clean, but there’s real substance and depth, too. Purity runs to the wine’s core. This is such a fine, detailed example of Tassie Chardonnay. It’s seamless and the flavours and textures slip and slide with such grace. Stone fruits, lemon oil, Seaspray and creamy almond flavours are long and satisfying. The more time in the glass – the more she gives… There’s an air of sophistication, and we all commented on how, ‘very Burgundian’ this drank. That said, this speaks strongly of the Apple Isle. The correct glassware is key. Drink now to 2030. Superb.” £25.50 per bottle
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