Ghost Rock Climat Pinot Noir 2024

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: A beautifully lifted and ethereal bouquet, showcasing light red fruits—fresh strawberry and dried cranberry—framed by an alluring wildness. Notes of mountain pepperberry add a faint spice, while gravelly, crushed brick and chalky mineral tones evoke a sense of place and subtle tension. There’s a stony precision to the aromatics that hints at refinement and quiet complexity.
 
Palate: Bright and red-fruited on entry, the palate is driven by a clean, linear acid profile that provides clarity and lift. Medium to medium light in weight, it glides across the tongue with finesse, before a tingling, mineral-laced aftertaste leaves a lingering impression. Tantalizing and tactile, this is a Pinot Noir for those drawn to purity, elegance, and the quiet thrill of cool-climate structure. 
 
Vintage: 2024 will be remembered as a vintage of distinction, with fabulous growing conditions that yielded fruit of superb quality. The climate during the spring and summer was notably warmer and dryer than previous years. This pattern had not been seen since 2019, which was also a year that made exceptional wines that are still holding up today. The wines from 2024 will be celebrated for having considerable character, intensity, and a great deal of potential
 
Winemaking: Clones were individually picked on ripeness and fermented in four separate lots. They were wild fermented with no additions bar sulfur. Hand plunged twice daily, pressed at dry. Wild malolactic fermentation completed in the spring, creating a deeper coloured and layered wine. Aged in high quality French oak barriques, 33% of which were new. This wine is a selection of the 9 best barrels. Sulfur was the only addition, added after ferment and just before bottling
 
Viticulture: This is our fifth release from our organically farmed vineyard. Plnated in 2014 and converted to organics in 2019, this vineyard is exclusively planted to Pinot Noir. Its sheltered northern slope and well-drained loam on sand soil provide the ideal backdrop for outstanding Pinot Noir growing. And at just over 2 hectares in size, its managed through a vine-to-vine program that ensures our organics approach is fully realised.