2024 Ghost Rock Chardonnay, Northern Tasmania

The 2024 Estate Chardonnay is nutty and yellow-fruited aromatically, with peach, star fruit, lemon balm and brine. In the mouth, the acidity is classic Tasmania, which is to say intense and saline, and it penetrates all aspects of the palate. This wine is focused, and despite the warmth of the season, there remains a green edge to the phenolics, which contributes shape and complexity to the wine, balancing the ripe fruit flavors and complementing the acidity. Lashings of crunchy green apple are woven throughout all aspects of the wine. It was barrel-fermented and then inoculated in stainless steel, with partial malolactic fermentation, and élevage in French oak. 13.2% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The location of the Ghost Rock vineyard is way out of the way; I drove an hour north from the Tamar to arrive, and the vineyard, while being one of the more northerly vineyards on this island and certainly the furthest west, is heavily impacted by the climate. The fruit is harvested late in the season, and the impact of the cool southerlies off Cradle Mountain fall into step with the impact of the Bass Strait ocean to the direct north (it is visible from most points of the vineyards). The soils here are red from ferrous clay loam and fertile. The surrounding area is populated by an abundance of berry farms, other fruits and vegetables.

92 points Erin Larkin Robert Parker

Perched above Bass Strait on Tasmania’s north coast, Ghost Rock draws on one of the island’s most exposed and exciting vineyard sites. The winds that roll in off the ocean and the long, cool growing season shape a Chardonnay that is all about detail and energy. Founded by Cate and Colin Arnold, with winemaker Justin Arnold now guiding the wines, the focus is on purity of fruit and letting that wild coastal edge show through.

Citrus leads the charge, lemon zest and grapefruit, followed by white peach and a subtle hint of nectarine. There is a flinty, mineral note that feels distinctly maritime, alongside a gentle almond and cashew character from thoughtful lees work. The palate walks a fine line between texture and tension, carrying a light creaminess through the middle before tightening into a long, saline finish that leaves you reaching for another sip.

It is drinking beautifully in its youth, but there is enough structure to reward five to eight years in the cellar, where those nutty, savoury elements will build and the wine will take on more complexity.

Grilled flathead with lemon butter, roast chicken with thyme, or seared scallops with a touch of brown butter would all be right at home here. This is a wine for coastal cooking and relaxed afternoons, where the breeze is just cool enough to keep you at the table a little longer.