Heirloom’s mission is to preserve and champion South Australia’s unique old vineyards and varieties. Along the way, they’re turning out some simply outstanding wines. Halliday calls this juicy Pinot "classic Adelaide Hills" and gave it a stunning 94 point rating with this to say about it: "Mid-red, good depth; this spicy, red fruit-scented pinot is classic Adelaide Hills, juicy, fine and full of fine-grained tannins, the silky finish and kick of eucalypt typical... 94pts" (Halliday).

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.

The cooler climate of Adelaide Hills delivers a Pinot Noir with delicate and perfumed florals. Bright red fruit and cherry emerge from the palate in this sleek, elegant & graceful wine

2023 PINOT NOIR THE WINE Seductive black cherry overlaid with exotic spices lead to a palate of supple fresh berries, bright acidity and lingering fine grained tannin. The very essence of youthful, vibrant Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir from carefully selected vineyards. VITICULTURE With enough sunny days to develop ripe, intense flavours 2023 was a cool and late vintage. The 2023 Epee Pinot Noir is made up of four clones - MV6,777,114 and 115 from vineyards at Gumeracha and Lobethal. More clones equals more complexity. WINEMAKING Harvested in the cool of night and early morning, pristine destemmed fruit is tipped directly into fermenters without crushing to give a high percentage of whole berries. The fermenters are gently pumped over twice a day to keep the skins wet and promote gentle tannin extraction. After pressing the wine is kept in stainless steel tanks prior to blending to preserve freshness and vibrancy.

Named after Ben’s mother, Valerie, the Matriarch of the Riggs family. 15% of the fruit was kept as whole bunch to add texture and complexity as well as a little bit of tannin weight. The wine was fermented over an 8 day period and then pressed directly to a mixture of French barriques and puncheons with 20% being new oak where it matured for a period of 6 months. Semi translucent red to dark red core with black toned edges and a light red hue. Perfumed like violet scents mix with red to dark cherry and wild strawberries followed by some forest floor, fresh herb and spicy cedar notes. Delicious dark cherry and strawberry fruits are delivered with intensity and possess a lovely supple feel. Lending further interest are notions of subtle anise, dried herbs, forest floor and spicy cedar. Excellent power wave with polished tannins and a long succulently fruited finish that’s quite savoury. Drink over the next 4-5 years. Alc. 13.5%

This Pinot Noir has rich burgundy, with plum-purple and soft cherry red hues. Beginning with a hint of spice, the nose evolves to encompass impressions of forest floor and truffle oil. Up-front juicy red fruit gives way to gentle tannins with a hint of stalkiness, culminating in a velvety mouthfeel with a bright, supporting acid structure.

A supple style of Pinot Noir, super aromatic with beautiful red fruits. Bright crunchy acidity paired with delicate primary red fruits and tannis, balanced and simply delicious. Cloudbreak, a new horizon. Jack Tomich’s passion project. As a third-generation winemaker, Jack established Cloudbreak to break away from his family’s traditional style of winemaking at Tomich Wines and experiment with new styles and ideas. With his rich history in wine and estate sourced Adelaide Hill fruit, Jacks attitude towards winemaking intends to push the boundaries. Making seriously good wine that shouldn’t be taken too seriously.