Description
Murdoch Hill vineyard is in the undulating hills of Oakbank in the Adelaide Hills. Planted by the Downer family in ’98 but the excitement began in 2012 when Michael (family’s youngest) took over the reins after working at esteemed wineries: Vietti in Piedmont; Bests in Great Western (initiated his Pinot Meunier fascination) & Shaw & Smith. He brought winemaking in house to have absolute control (previously outsourced to neighbouring winery) and adopted minimal intervention including wild yeasts, whole bunch ferments, extended skin contact, older wood maturation, no fining, filtration and minimal sulphur. He introduced the Artisan range of single parcel high altitude offerings sourcing fruit from vines in Lobethal, Basket Range and Uraidla high in the Piccadilly Valley …. juicy, vibrant wines that highlight the detail and freshness of each site.
Downer was a Young Guns of Wine finalist in 2014, joint winner of the ‘Winemaker’s Choice’ in 2015, finalist again in 2016 and winner in 2017! In the same year he was awarded Young Winemaker of the Year by Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine! Very compelling getting vote of approval from his peers!
“Murdoch Hill is a serious ultra-quality player in Australian wine. Take note.” Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2023
“Michael really knows what he’s doing both in the cellar and in the vineyard. He has proven his credentials over and over again…” Halliday Wine Companion, Winemaker of the Year Finalists 2024
From the winemaker: “The wine is sourced from the high altitude Piccadilly Valley & Lenswood Sub regions of the Adelaide Hills, the high elevation and large diurnal shift in temperature provide a very cool environment to produce quality Pinot Noir. The fruit from our Lenswood vineyard. The soil structure is sandy loam over clay, with seams of ironstone and quartz contribute to both perfume and structure to the wines. Clones 114,115 & D5V12 Piccadilly we source from Two vineyards, with steep east facing slopes on shallow hard soils. Naturally yields are very low to provide structure pretty aromatics and a fine delicate line of fruit.”
“The 2025 season in Lenswood suited Pinot Noir well, with warm, dry conditions tempered by cool nights and the site’s natural elevation. Even ripening and low disease pressure allowed for precise picking decisions, preserving freshness and fine tannin structure. Smaller berries and modest yields delivered wines with purity of fruit, bright acidity and quiet intensity.
“The fruit was hand picked and de-stemmed, allowing for the retention of whole berries, open fermented in small one ton vats. Varying levels of whole bunches were included in the ferments ranging from 25% – 100%, this aided structure and spice to the wine. Minimal maceration during fermentation was adopted to produce a elegant wine style.
“Bright ruby red. This Adelaide Hills expression of Pinot Noir displays classic lifted cherry fruits and savory spice, early picking keeps this wine vibrant and fresh whilst showing softness with juicy strawberry fruits and supportive sappy fine tannins from careful stalk management. A beautifully balanced wine that pairs well with roasted poultry, duck, or mushroom risotto.”
RRP $42 Our Special Price $34.50 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
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