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.

This wine is named after the myriad of paths, tracks and trails that dominate the famous Morialta Conservation Park that are lovingly explored by its visitors. The Adelaide Hills wine region is located nearby and is equally famous for its ability to produce some of Australia's best loved wines. Our Winemakers explored many grape trails across the Hills to track down the best parcels of fruit to go into this wine. Follow the deep red road to discover aromas of beautiful blackberries and cherries. Your mouth will be filled with rich and velvety dark plums and savoury spice notes. This stylish Shiraz finishes long and well-balanced making it an easy wine to pair with grilled or roasted meats.

Winemakers Danny Toaldo and Moreno Chiappin have crafted a seriously flavoursome Shiraz from premium Adelaide Hills fruit. Delicious now but will cellar.Deep red to purple. Fragrant lift of kirsch, cola, dark cherry and vanilla. Powerful yet quite elegant with a sweet mix of black cherry, liquorice and mocha, deep tannins, fresh acidity, lovely oak and a long, sinewy finish.

This is the 6threlease of this award winning wine sourced from a vineyard that used to supply one of Hardy’s most awarded Adelaide Hills reds. Four different clones of shiraz give this wine rare complexity and consistency and its proximity to McLaren Vale gives it an uncommon richness and warmth not normally associated with ‘Hills Shiraz. This was a perfect season with the fruit enjoying optimal ripening to ensure full flavour development and balance of acid and tannins. There’s so mu

This is the sixth release of this wine and it's richness is again on display. This is rich, ripe, Hills shiraz looking a lot like the 'Vales. Black and blue fruits dominate with a hint of eucalypt and a palate supported by 20% brand new Frenach oak. A very classy wine that demands decanting to enjoy now but will offer improvement over the next 10-20 years.

he ‘ol boy has done it again. Despite a difficult start to the season, Dad made some very astute calls in the vineyard during spring which meant we were able to take advantage of perfect conditions during the summer and autumn. This meant our fruit arrived at our winemaker’s with full flavour development and balance of acid and tannins. Our trademark blueberry, spice and eucalyptus are on show. This wine will see improvement up to and beyond 10 years in the cellar.

A small but brilliant parcel of fruit meant our flagship Five Clones Shiraz was on the menu again. The nose is abundant with black and blue fruits also seen on the palate, which is full bodied and underpinned by fine tannins. Further breathing reveals more layers of flavour and complexity after the initial tranche of bright fruits. A superb example of care in the vineyard and judicious winemaking. Enjoy now with decanting or cellar for up to 20 years.

Another very attractive release from the hugely dynamic Zonte's Footstep. An Adelaide Hills Shiraz with TWO Double Golds "...offering excellent drinking. 92pts” (Sam Kim, Wine Orbit). He adds that it is: “Sweetly fruited with complexity, the wine exhibits aromas of black and blueberry, star anise, floral notes, and hazelnut on the nose. The palate is equally satisfying with a plump mouthfeel backed by fleshy texture and supple tannins, offering excellent drinking. 92pts” (Sam Kim, Wine Orbit).