La Linea Tempranillo
La Linea Tempranillo has floral aromas, with notes of raspberry, mulberry and cherry, and hints of sage and rosemary. Savoury and complex yet fresh, with distinctive fine tannins, it will age for some years.
Tomich Hill Pinot Noir
Intense berry and red cherry aromas vibrant lend themselves to the palate of dark berry and cherry with subtle hints of dry herbs and silky soft graceful tannins.
Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir
Red cherries and strawberries along with notes of undergrowth and preserved lemon. Bright and juicy red fruit characters with a savoury back half of earth, leather and subtle dried herbs. The palate is of medium weight with graceful, fine tannins that lend it a plush quality throughout. Grapes were handpicked, keeping individual clones separate in small open fermenters. Some whole bunch fruit was added to ferments, enhancing aromatics and structural complexity. Fermentation was initiated by indigenous yeast (wild ferment). Each clonal parcel was basket pressed and filled to seasoned French oak barrels with full solids. All barrels were kept on lees to build palate, body and complexity. They were racked and blended just prior to bottling. Stephen Georges three hectare, dry-grown, Ashton Hills vineyard lies in the Piccadilly Valley sub region of the Adelaide Hills on a ridge just below the summit of Mount Lofty. Planted in 1982, its a quality site that, thanks to the humility and integrity of its gifted farmer, has been the source of some of South Australias most intriguing cool-climate wines, and certainly its most authentic and fascinating Pinot Noir. You dont need to spend much time in the Piccadilly Valley to realise why this area was granted sub-regional statusit is totally different to the rest of the Hills. In short, its much colder and wetter. Georges Estate vineyard lies at 570 metres above sea level and the vines shudder through some of the coolest vintage conditions in the country. Meanwhile, rainfall is a whopping 1200mm a year, well over double that of the Barossa. Whether its the lifted perfumes, elegant structure and Alpine freshness of the Pinot Noirs or the icy purity of the Riesling, Piccadilly Valleys bona-fide cool-climate imprint is never far away. A healthy portion of old-vines and the vineyards south-facing aspect afford George the luxury of late harvesting that plays a significant role in the personality of these wines. Terroir is one thing, how its worked is another, and Stephen George clearly has an intuitive touch and the drive to continually evolve. Most recently this evolution has resulted in George grubbing out all varieties except for Pinot Noir, and a little bit of Riesling, focusing his Pinot Noir on four specific clones selected from a line-up of 25 that he had tested. The Ashton Hills winery is incredibly basic, with an earth floor and next to no equipment whatsoever. The Pinot fruit is destemmed via a small, customised, gentle destemmer that keeps as many whole berries as possible. The fruit is then basket pressed, and the wine is made without any sulphur additions until bottling. Some whole bunches are included, and the percentage varies according to the style of the vintage. The red wines are mostly raised in aged, neutral French hogshead barrels. Having already cemented his living-legend status amongst his peers and compiled a storied CV that includes his role at Wendouree (since the 1980s) and twenty five vintages at the helm of Ashton Hills, you could forgive this reclusive winemaker for taking his foot off the gas. Not a bit of it. Stephen George is in fact making the best wines of his career.
Sidewood Estate Pinot Noir
The Pawn El Desperado Pinot Noir
Riposte The Sabre Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir
Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec
Rated 97 Halliday points. "Deep crimson-purple; whereas the '11 had to fight every inch of the way, this wine displays almost contemptuous ease in the way it has marshalled the layers of black fruits and ripe tannins that soak up the new oak inputs. This will be one of the long-lived, great Black Labels." James Halliday Wine Companion, July 2015.
Paracombe The Reuben
Establishing itself as a premier Adelaide Hills producer back in 1983, Paracombe continue to set the standard in the region. 'The Reuben' is a brilliant reflection of the dedication and expertise put into the winery byKathy and Paul Drogemuller. A Merlot dominant blend of five grape varieties, The Reuben showcases the best of Paracombe and its micro-climate. The palate is generous and finely structured with rich, sweet fruit driven flavours of fresh loganberries and raspberries interspersed with savoury and spicy notes. The Reuben is a great food wine and complements many styles of food.
Longview Yakka Shiraz
Longview Yakka Shiraz is a fantastic cool climate Shiraz from the hinterlands above Adelaide, great length, fruit intensity and mouth feel.
Penfolds Bin 23 Pinot Noir
Penfolds Bin 23 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir is named after the maturation Cellar 23 at Magill Estate. Bin 23 Pinot Noir is a bold, new addition to the Bin collection and promises to be a dynamic member of the Bin family - reflecting its evolving style, regional definition and the complexities of the many & varied clones of Pinot Noir.