GHOST CORNER WINES | Ghost Corner | Pinot Noir | 2023
pinot noir

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The story of Ghost Corner Wines is linked to the visionary winemaker, David Nieuwoudt. Never one to rest on his laurels, David ventured to the most extreme viticultural pocket in South Africa: the Elim ward, near Cape Agulhas. The brand’s name is a direct homage to this treacherous coastline, known as ‘Spookdraai’ or ‘Ghost Corner’, where folklore tells of the wandering ghosts of sailors from more than 130 shipwrecks. This dramatic landscape reflects the extreme, untamed nature of the unique Elim terroir. David’s vision was to harness this wild spirit, creating wines that are a pure, unadulterated expression of this extreme climate.
Today we are going to review a quite intriguing, single-varietal pinot noir wine from the Western Cape, which is South Africa‘s most famous wine-producing area – Ghost Corner Pinot Noir 2023 by Ghost Corner Wines. Pinot Noir is considered the world’s most noble red grape variety and has reached a legendary status mainly due to its ability to produce wines of unparalleled elegance. The grape itself is very difficult to cultivate – it has thin skins, as a result it is prone to rot and various vineyard disease, and is genetically unstable, meaning that it mutates easily (many of Burgundy’s other grapes, such as Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, originated from these mutations). But when handled with great care, Pinot Noir is capable to deliver the very best expressions of terrior like no other grape variety, making it the ultimate storyteller of a place. Burgundy remains the spiritual home of Pinot Noir, where some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world are produced. Outside of France, Pinot Noir has adapted well in cooler climates such as Oregon’s Willamette Valley, New Zealand’s Central Otago, and some of the southernmost wine regions in the world, like Western Cape‘s Elim.

In the cool, maritime climate of Elim, Pinot Noir finds a perfect home, developing rich aromatics and retaining a vibrant acidity that is often lost in warmer climates. Today’s wine is crafted from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, all of them Dijon Clones (PN90, 459 and 115). Grapes are hand-harvested, with 15% whole clusters added for fermentation. Gentle extractions take place with pump-over and manual punchdowns of the cap. After the fermentation is completed, the wine is then aged for 10 months in 228L French oak barriques (14% 1st fill, 14% 2nd fill, 14% 3rd fill, 15% 4th fill and 43% 5th fill – all of them tight-grain barrels with a medium toast), with additional bottle ageing time before it was deemed ready for the market release, resulting in a wine that is both elegant and representative of its origins.

Western Cape is the heart of South Africa’s wine industry, encompassing a broad and diverse set of wine regions, including the world’s famous Stellenbosch, Paarl, Swartland, and Walker Bay. Its maritime climate is shaped by the cold Benguela current and strong oceanic breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which help moderate temperatures, reduce disease pressure, and prolonge the ripening season. This results in wines with excellent natural acidity and aromatic complexity. The region’s topography and varied soils, ranging from ancient granite and shale to sandstone and alluvial deposits, allow for a wide range of grape varieties to thrive, from cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and pinotage, to chenin blanc, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc. The vast diurnal range between warm days and cool nights, further enhance the freshness and structure of the wines. All of this allows Western Cape to produce expressive and terroir-driven wines that balance new world’s fruit generosity with old world’s finesse.

Elim, perched at the windswept southern reaches of the Western Cape, is a land where the seas shape the vine. Here the cold breath of the Atlantic, borne upon fierce maritime winds, sweeps across low-lying vineyards and creates a prolonged ripening season, allowing the grapes to preserve acidity and a piercing aromatic clarity. The soils are ancient, from shards of shale, pockets of ferric-rich gravel, to seams of clay that steady the vine in this severe domain. This combination yields wines of structure, complex minerality, and striking poise. Here, sauvignon blanc is the region’s champion grape variety, yet syrah and semillon also thrive. This remote and cool-climate terroir lends the wines of Elim a unique character: austere but intense, etched with the salt-kissed soul of the southern ocean.

color: pale & transparent garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades at the rim

In the glass, the wine presents a textbook Pinot Noir appearance, as it displays a pale and transparent garnet color at its core, which gracefully transitions into hazy and translucent copper shades at the rim.

intensity: rich & savory
fruit character: ripe

The aromatic profile is rich, with a savory-delicate accent that embodies a classic, old-world Pinot Noir. The foreground is a complex tapestry where savory notes of old leather, iron, cured meat, and briny brown olive intertwine with a vibrant core of ripe red fruits – cranberry, redcurrant, and sour cherry. Adding another layer of sophistication are elegant hints of cloves, star anise, nutmeg, and finely integrated toasted oakwood. In the background, a profound sense of place emerges with earthy aromas of marl, loam, and wet clay, complemented by herbal nuances of sage and tomato leaf, all wrapped up with a whisper of damp forest floor and mushroom.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: medium- | balance: good
finish: long | aftertaste: crisp & delicate

On the palate, the wine is remarkably rich and ample, delivering a multi-layered and complex flavour profile that perfectly mirrors the nose. This is a wonderfully structured wine that achieves a rare balance between elegance, finesse, and power. The entry is dry, driven by a vibrant acidity that provides immense energy and freshness. A well-integrated touch of alcoholic warmth contributes to a supple, voluptuous mouthfeel, while the tannins, ripe and fine-grained, impart a velvety texture. The experience culminates in a long, crisp, and delicate finish, leaving a pleasantly-seedy aftertaste that lingers gracefully.

maturity: developing | drink now or within the next 2 to 3 years
verdict: great | a benchmark wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this is a genuine example of a modern-bred, old-world styled Pinot Noir wine that brilliantly captures the vibrancy of the grape variety alongside the unmistakable footprint of its extreme coastal terroir. This wine is the epitome of a pure-bred Pinot Noir that manages to seamlessly combine elegance with structure and rusticity with delicacy. The restrained use of oak allows the terroir to shine through, resulting in a harmonious, round, and voluptuous wine that could easily hold its own against the great reds of Bourgogne. The wine is still developing, showing great potential for evolution, and while it is ready to be enjoyed today, it will undoubtedly gain further complexity and aromatic sophistication with another 2 or 3 years of cellaring.

The wine’s vibrant acidity and savory character make it an exceptionally versatile food partner. For a classic complementary pairing, serve it alongside duck confit with a sour cherry reduction. The wine’s acidity will cut through the richness of the duck fat, while its earthy and red fruit notes will harmonize with the flavors of the cherry reduction, creating a memorable and sophisticated culinary experience. Cheers!
GHOST CORNER WINES | Ghost Corner | Pinot Noir | 2023
variety: pinot noir
country: South Africa
region: Western Cape | Elim
rating: 94.6

The Ghost Corner brand name is rooted in the dramatic maritime history of Cape Agulhas. The area, known locally as ‘Spookdraai’, is not only famous for its shipwrecks but also for a peculiar navigational anomaly: compasses here show no deviation between true north and magnetic north. This made navigation of the treacherous waters nearly impossible in stormy weather, contributing to its fearsome reputation.

© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation. Cheers!