The phrase is overused, but the substance can’t be refuted: Great wine is made in the vineyard. Some sites just scream quality. Ghost Rock Estate is one such place, buried deep in the far reaches of Tasmania’s north coast, just four kilometres from Bass Strait. It’s a stunning canvas for viticulture on the edge: wildly remote, isolated, raw and untouched. Ghost Rock’s strikingly pure, cool-climate wines bear its imprint.

Justin Arnold’s parents established the home vineyard and built the first winery in the region in 1999. Since they passed the torch in 2015, second-generation vigneron Justin and wife Alicia have been at the helm. This dynamic young scion has grown the business and its holdings, and 30 hectares of vines spanning seven connected plots now call this stunning scenery home. The Ghost Rock team work hard to make the marginal climate work in their favour. They adhere to organic principles, use no pesticides and deploy under-vine cultivation, shoot thinning and leaf plucking.

Cool-climate classics―Pinot Noir and Chardonnay―are specialities, and their single-vineyard bottlings are the most lucid expressions of their unique place. The maritime influence, large diurnal range and moderate temperatures pave the way to the promised land of long ripening periods and fantastic flavour development. These single-plot wines are only made in exceptional years, and 2023 bears all the hallmarks. The Ghost Rock signature of intense, brooding fruit and structured, spicy undertones are writ large over these expressions. Mike Bennie shares our enthusiasm, as the notes below make clear.

Ghost Rock should be on the radar of any great Australian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lover.

Contact Paul to place an order. 

The Wines

2023 Ghost Rock Bonadale Chardonnay

23415-750 $63.00/bt or $56.70/bt as part of a case

Ghost Rock’s Bonadale vineyard was planted in 2010. It’s the estate’s highest site and enjoys long growing seasons thanks to the combined effects of good exposure to sun and cooling ocean breezes. Generally speaking, the site produces elegant, finely structured fruit with a complex, well-developed flavour profile. Viticulture in the I10V1 Chardonnay vines is militant, including heavy leaf plucking to promote airflow and ripening at this marginal site. Bonadale was the last of the Ghost Rock Chardonnay blocks picked in 2023. The fruit was gently pressed to barrel for fermentation in French oak (30% new). Half the wine went through malolactic conversion, and maturation occurred in barrel on lees. Mike Bennie’s note does not undersell the quality; it’s a pure, complex, powerful wine with interest to burn. Find a big glass and don’t overchill.

“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.” 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front


2023 Ghost Rock Estate Pinot Noir

23419-750 $47.00/bt or $42.30/bt as part of a case

The Estate Pinot Noir is a blend of eight different clones from across the plots on the Ghost Rock property. The lion’s share of the fruit comes from the Iris and La Filles blocks at the southern end of the estate. The fruit was picked by hand in batches according to clonal ripeness. Most of the fruit was destemmed, and the wine matured in 35% new French oak for 11 months. It’s pretty and poised but with plenty of power and drive through the fleshy palate. Cool climate Pinot in a lovely guise.

“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.” 92 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front


2023 Ghost Rock Bonadale Pinot Noir

23416-750 $63.00/bt or $56.70/bt as part of a case

The Bonadale vineyard was planted in 2010 and is Ghost Rock’s highest site, receiving plenty of sunshine throughout the growing season. Despite its sun exposure, the ripening season in this vineyard is elongated due to the consistent presence of cooling ocean breezes. Broadly speaking, the site produces Pinot fruit of elegance and refined structure. The clonal mix is equal parts 777 and 667. The fruit was fully destemmed and fermented spontaneously with gentle hand plunging once a day. It matured in 33% new French oak for 10 months. Lofty freshness flows through with lifted red fruits and mineral distinction, mixed with savoury spice and deep, flowing texture.

“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.” 93+ points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front


2023 Ghost Rock Climat Pinot Noir

23417-750 $63.00/bt or $56.70/bt as part of a case

The Climat vineyard was planted in 2014 and has been farmed organically since 2019. These single-vineyard wines are only made when vintage conditions are right, and this 2023 is just the fourth release. Its sheltered northern slope and well-drained loam-on-sand soils provide the ideal environment for Pinot Noir, and the two hectares are exclusively planted to this variety. The clonal mix is D5V12 (52%), 777 (23%), MV6 (12%) and D4V2 (13%). The fruit ferments spontaneously and matures in one-year-old French barrels. It’s a weightier expression than the more fine-boned Bonadale but with the same mineral line and density of pure, mouthcoating flavour. We love it, too.

“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.” 95 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front


2023 Ghost Rock Iris Pinot Noir

23418-750 $63.00/bt or $56.70/bt as part of a case

The Iris vineyard was planted in 2015 and sits across the road from the winery. This site is one of the property's windiest and most exposed sites. The cool, breezy site produces berries with thick skins, creating deeply coloured, structured wines with intense concentration. The site has been producing powerful Pinot for years now, but the sheer quality in 2023 warranted elevation to single-site status. The 777 clone bunches were destemmed before fermentation, and the wine matured in barrel (35% new). The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Dark and brooding in comparison to its peers, Iris is the most deeply cast Pinot this year. It finishes long, fresh and moreishly savoury, making it very difficult to stop at one glass. Line up the charcuterie and dive in.

“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.” 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front