Southern Light Vineyards Ghostgum Pinot Noir 2021

The 2021 Pinot Noir Ghostgum Vineyard displays a combination of elegance and power of red cherry, damp earth and star anise aromas with a brooding core of charcuterie. It is a finer, ethereal style, with waves of spicy, red berry fruit flavours and a pinpoint balance between fresh acidity and silky tannins. It shows serious finesse and is delicious now but will hold over the medium term.

Yarra Valley-based Southern Light Vineyards is part of the Valmorbida family’s burgeoning drinks empire, which sits under the Joval Family wines label. Ghostgum vineyard is an established one at Main Ridge. Are you still with me? Anyway, the wine’s good, the colour less so (some browning to the rim). Lots of punchy, whole-bunch characters somewhat overt and it’ll be polarising as a style. I like it with its peppery and spicy aromas and while sweet-fruited, by and large, it’s savoury. Dark cherries, autumnal damp earth, chinotto and blood orange with an attractive amaro twist. The palate is surprisingly light, tannins ethereal yet in the background, with lots of acidity driving this.

Quiet nose at first, needs a moment to open up. It’s low key, showing mineral tones of wet rocks, sous-bois, savoury and meaty elements, dead flowers. It ventures strongly into the umami zone. Spice and clean plummy fruit on the palate, it has a beautiful detail, sour juice and a hint of liquorice and nougat that develops in the glass. There’s a fair bit of whole bunch in here, but well tucked in, not sticking out. Tannins are supportive and in the background. Finished on a blood orange, herbal amaro lift. Nicely ‘Yarrafied’.