Ashton Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2011

Description

Ashton Hills has the oldest pinot vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Stephen George wears 3 winemakers ™ hats. one for his Ashton Hills wines coming from his estate vineyard high in the Adelaide Hills. one for Galah Wines and the other for the iconic Wendouree in Clare. He refers to his dry grown Piccadilly Valley vineyard planted back in 1982 as the Burgundy of the Adelaide Hills . Much experimentation with pinot noir clones (15 clones planted) and trellising has resulted in sublime pinot noir. Ashton Hills has received many awards including the coveted 5 Red star rating from James Halliday.

No escaping the fact that the 2011 vintage was an incredibly challenging one yet despite this Stephen George has created a seriously impressive wine here. No Reserve wine was produced making the Estate Pinot their top Pinot for 2011. (fruit destined for the Reserve Pinot ended up the this wine the Estate wine to ensure.

For the astute pinophile buying the 2011 Estate will mean top quality and value for the price!

Winemaker Stephen George writes .. “Like the P.V. the 2011 Estate is lighter in colour than our usual pinots. This is a reflection of the year and the inherent nature of the variety and is simply not a problem as it might be with darker coloured varieties.

On the palate of the 2011 there are flavours of strawberry. cherry. rhubarb and cola. combined with our usual vineyard “ and oak “ derived spice. Slightly higher acid and tannins are again due to the year and there ™s the usual silky texture that our vineyard produces. The balance of fruit. acid. wood and tannin suggests that the wine can be drunk now with food while the wine ™s structure suggests cellaring for a decade or more.

Hopefully I ™ll one day regret demoting our 2011 Reserve fruit to Estate. ”

Nick Stock .. “This is a vivacious and attractive young pinot with immediate appeal. Bright strawberry and cherry fruits swirl up fast in the glass. ahead of some raspberry. earth and bracken like notes. and there is attractive spice. The palate offers bright. light red fruit flavour on entry. Assertive yet ripe tannins hold juicy cherry flavour neatly in place. The wine looks very complete and approachable. ™

RRP $53