Description
Ashton Hills is a three hectare vineyard that lies in the Piccadilly Valley sub region of the Adelaide Hills on a ridge just below the summit of Mount Lofty. The estate was founded by Stephen George in 1982 and since that time it has built a reputation as one of Australia’s finest proponents of pinot noir and cool climate whites including chardonnay.
For over 30 years Stephen experimented with up to 25 pinot noir clones, ultimately settling on five key clones that now make the acclaimed Reserve and Estate Pinot Noirs from Ashton Hills, plus a range of awarded sparkling wines and chardonnay.
Stephen George wore two winemakers’ hats … one for his Ashton Hills wines, the other for the iconic Wendouree wines in Clare. He refered to his dry grown Piccadilly Valley vineyard as the “Burgundy of the Adelaide Hills” and his “garden”. Stephen is one of Australia’s most highly respected winemaking viticulturalists and a pioneer of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. The result is sublime pinot noir.. unfortunately in minuscule quantities!
Stephen has now taken a step back into semi-retirement to spend more time travelling to his beloved Burgundy, and has transferred his stake in Ashton Hills to Wirra Wirra Vineyards, with its pedigree in cool climate Adelaide Hills whites and quality McLaren Vale reds. Nonetheless, he continues to reside at his home at the winery and works closely at vintage with the Wirra Wirra winemaking team to continue the tradition of producing benchmark wines from the Ashton Hills site.
“The Ashton Hills winery will always be the heart and soul of the Adelaide Hills wine region. Founder Stephen George set all the benchmarks; his relentless pursuit of myriad grape clones and varieties laid the foundation for the thriving region of today. Ashton Hills has been owned by Wirra Wirra since 2015, though it speaks volumes that Stephen still lives on the property and remains involved in its operation. This has been the most respectful of handovers, best proven by the steady and continued stream of top-tier releases.” Campbell Mattinson for Halliday Wine Companion
About this wine: A limited release chardonnay sourced exclusively from the Piccadilly Valley sub-region of the Adelaide Hills, home of Ashton Hills. The Piccadilly Valley is the coldest part of the region and offers ideal growing conditions for Chardonnay (Cold nights imparting depth/powerful fruit balanced by precision of tight acid line). Ferment was sparked by indigenous yeasts and the wine matured in a combination of new and used French oak for nine months.
Reduced yields from the 2022 harvest were the result of poor fruit set due to a cold spring. This turned out to be a blessing, with a cool summer pushing the majority of our harvest into the last week of March and early April. Ripening of the small berries and bunches was long and slow which has resulted in wines with intense flavour, concentration and structure.
A harmonious mix of lime zest, white peach and florals. There’s a hint of sea spray and subtle cinnamon spice. A delicate balance of density and tension. Glimpses of white peach, Jasmin and lemon curd feature on the palate. The feature of this wine is the integration of the powerful fruit profile, linear acidity and long elegant finish.
Ferment was sparked by indigenous yeasts and the wine aged in Burgundian oak both old and new for nine months. This wine is a barrel selection, built for power and elegance, the hallmarks of a great Chardonnay. Only 240 dozen produced.
96 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “This is one out of the box. It’s both tremendously powerful and tremendously long. Flint, grapefruit, nectarine and slate flavours charge through the palate and on out through the finish. It hits you straight up and just keeps rocketing on. There’s a steeliness here; an extra. It’s superb.”
95 points, Ned Goodwin for Halliday Wine Companion “A significant step up from its less expensive sibling. Fine aromas of grated parmesan, toasted hazelnuts and truffle. Reticent. Shins and elbows. A barrel cull, following an ambient fermentation and raising in new, one and two-year-old barrels. Little obvious fruit aromas, although fruit sweetness. Plenty of peat. Time will work magic here, such is the structural lattice of oak, mineral and the long-limbed cadence. Intriguing stuff.”
RRP $102 Our Special Price $84.99 … WHILE STOCKS LAST – VERY LIMITED RELEASE.
