Ghost Rock Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Bonadale 2023

Variety: 100 % Pinot Noir
Country, Region: Australia, Tasmania

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; 5.3 g/L TA; 3.8 pH.

’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.

'In ‘01, Cate and Colin Arnold purchased the former Patrick Creek Vineyard planted exclusively to pinot noir in 1989. The vineyards, situated among the patchwork fields of Sassafras to the south and the white sands of the Port Sorell Peninsula to the north, now total 30ha: pinot noir (14 clones) remains the bedrock of the plantings, with other varieties including chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling and sauvignon blanc. Ownership has passed to son Justin and his wife Alicia (who runs the cooking school and cellar door). Justin’s experience in the Yarra Valley (Coldstream Hills), Margaret River (Devil’s Lair) and Napa Valley (Etude) has paid dividends – the business is going from strength to strength, and the capacity of the 100t winery has been tripled. Exports to Japan.' James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion.

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.'