Ghost in the Machine refers to the resilience of human imagination in the face of an artificial-intelligence-dominated onslaught.
Hosted upstairs at The Wine Library inside the trendy Grub and Vine in Cape Town, Bruce Jack Wines officially launched their new wine range - Ghost in the Machine, which comprises four wines in the selection, namely, Ghost in the Machine Chenin Blanc 2019, Ghost in the Machine Chardonnay 2020, Ghost in the Machine Malbec Viognier 2019, and Ghost in the Machine Cabernet Franc 2019.
Bruce Jack himself unfortunately could not join us but joined via Zoom. A presence captivating enough that no one could tell the difference from his physical absence. Known to always push boundaries and up the ante with experimental winemaking, Ghost in the Machine is no different from Jack's and assistant winemaker Thornton Pillay's usual gems.
Tasting notes and winemaking details
Ghost in the Machine Chenin Blanc 2019 - Hints of aromatic bay leaf and cardamom with a smokey, nutty character picked up on the nose. The palate shows creamy texture, juice on entry with a subtle lime lingering finish. This vineyard was planted in 1978. It was picked in 2 batches for ripeness and freshness. Grapes were hand sorted before destemming under CO2 to open-top fermenters. Cold soak on the skins for 2 days prior to the start of fermentation with wild yeast; one punch down daily during fermentation to keep the cap submerged; cool fermentation at 11-13C; pressed after two weeks on the skins(total) using a traditional basket press and transferred directly to barrel; partial malolactic fermentation, 7 months in a mixture of French and American oak. Three rackings prior to bottling.
Ghost in the Machine Chardonnay 2020 - Decadent toffee, vanilla, caramel are accompanied by butterscotch, with subtle hints of roasted almond. These flavours flow through and end with a smooth, citrus lime finish on the palate. Hand-picked fruit, pressed, settled and racked to barrel for fermentation. Combination of natural and inoculated yeast. Partial malolactic fermentation, 8 months in barrel
Ghost in the Machine Malbec Viognier 2019 - Herbaceous with hints of fynbos, rosemary and tobacco leaf, spiced or marinated red meats with a biltong coating. The palate bursts with plum and cherries - smokey. Malbec grapes are sourced from The Drift Estate and viognier from Wildepaardekloof - the Frater farm near Ashton, also the home of the Mary le Bow wines. Co-ferment on the skins of partially fermented Viognierskins plus destemmed and whole clustered Malbec. Must was kept cool for 4 days, after which natural yeast completed the fermentation. Pressed off the skins 2 days after completion of alcoholic fermentation using a traditional basket press. Natural malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. The wine was in barrel for 18 months and racked twice before bottling.
Ghost in the Machine Cabernet Franc 2019 - A burst of dark red fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant, canned peas, savoury notes and molasses or toffee. The palate of dark red fruit follows through with a smokey, herbaceous finish. Sourced from Wildepaardekloof - Ashton, the Drift Estateand Siberia, Hemel-en-Aarde. All grapes are low yields, sustainably farmed and handpicked. Cabernet franc and malbec, are destemmed respectively, Grenache is whole cluster carbonic fermentation in a closed tank under CO2. Must was kept cool for 5-7 days, after which tanks were warmed up and natural yeast carried out the fermentation. Pressed off the skins 24-31 days after completion of alcoholic fermentation using a traditional basket press. Natural malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. The wine was in barrel for 20 months and racked three times before bottling. Course filtration only, no fining.
When asked how he came up with the designs, founder of Fanakolo Designs Rohan Etsebeth noted that the labels are all based on stories and inspiration around them. Rohan designs various labels for Bruce Jack wines. The labels certainly make the wines pop and stand out from the rest with their larger-than-life avant-garde designs and texture.
The Bruce Jack "Ghost in the Machine" range will be made available for purchase online only on brucejack.com