“Flavour” may be the buzz word in the food and wine world at the moment, but “structure” is just as important.
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Stephen George’s 1982 planted vines and his two neighbouring growers comprise the oldest pinot noir plantings in the Piccadilly Valley, the coolest pocket of the Adelaide Hills. These vineyards are the source of his entry-level pinot noir, a wine of supple fruit drive, soft approachability, alluring rose petal perfume and ripe strawberry/cherry purity. A small […]
readStephen George likens the climate at Ashton to that of Alsace, and his “Tardy” reference to late harvest is a cheeky reflection of Alsace’s “Vendange Tardive” styles. There are few places in the world able to achieve such a beautiful interplay of textural structure, generous sweetness, succulent fruit presence and finely mineral acidity. Impeccably handled […]
readAdelaide Hills meets the Mosel and Alsace in an enticingly, mouth-wateringly zesty style that epitomises the secret of the great sweet rieslings of the world: high-tensile acidity leading sweetness. It’s fragrant, focused and pure, with aromas of golden delicious apple, lemon zest, ripe peach and cane sugar. The palate harmonises succulent sweetness with the natural […]
readStephen George must have exercised Jedi self control to hold back for a full decade the signature blend of the Clare Valley, from one of the most legendary vineyards of the region, sourced primarily from the “newer” Wendouree plantings of 1911. Such a pedigree promises great things, but even this does nothing to prepare you […]
readConsider this as much a sparkling Adelaide Hills pinot noir as a sparkling rosé. A medium salmon hue is derived from the addition of pinot noir fermented on its dark skins, making for a flavoursome style of rose petal and wild strawberry perfume. A fine bead and pure, high altitude acidity ring out through the […]
readThis is benchmark Adelaide Hills chardonnay of understated effortlessness and harmonious restraint, yet somehow, remarkably, still delightfully intense with grapefruit, lime, white peach and fig. It displays an air of charcuterie complexity and a delightful texture that marries lees-derived complexity with the inimitable chalky mineral definition of this cool, high vineyard. A wine of enduring […]
readThere is a purity and a detail to Stephen George’s Estate Pinot Noir that can only be attributed to devoting decades to understanding the nuances of a great site. 2010 is a vintage of style, poise and balance. Deep-set black cherry and mixed berry compote fruit is spiced with layers of forest floor, mixed spice, […]
readThere is no suggestion of the region nor the vineyard on the bottle and there needn’t be, because the wine it contains carries the unmistakable stamp of the ancient vines of Wendouree. It captures a depth and intensity of fruit with an amplitude unreached by many wines besides Penfolds Grange itself, yet simultaneously upholding a […]
readAshton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir is a stake in the ground of Adelaide Hills terroir, a benchmark to which many aspire and one of the most consistently outstanding expressions of the variety anywhere west of Victoria. 2010 is a wine of calm, effortless purity, of glorious fruit expression, capturing intensity and complexity with supple silkiness. […]
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