Ashton Hills Vineyard Winelist No. 63

WINELIST No. 63 Dear Mailing List Member, When you work in wine, there is nothing like the release of a new vintage to take you back to an earlier time. That’s certainly been the case with the release of the 2020 Estate and Reserve Pinot Noir. The even more limited than usual volume of these wines reflects the growing season that was 2019/20.

All I will say for now is, be sure to read about and check out the 2021 Ashton Hills Pinot x Pinot, available exclusively at our cellar door. You won’t regret it.

With the festive season approaching and the prospect of more relaxed borders, I hope that some of you will get the chance to drop into our cellar door and enjoy the stunning surrounds that make the Adelaide Hills a refreshing oasis over much of the summer. Liza and co will be waiting with an equally warm welcome.

While vintage 2020 offered slim pickings, we were fortunate that 2021 saw more generous yields across the Adelaide Hills and given the healthy rains of winter and early spring, the potential for a good healthy crop Cheers, is certainly there at this early stage for 2022.

Andrew Kay While our Martini Club members have been the Managing Director beneficiaries of the tight allocation of Reserve wine, there is some positive news for lovers of Ashton Hills Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshtonHillsVineyard pinot noir. Liam and Stephen had been discussing how Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashtonhillsvineyard on occasion a very “special” parcel of growers’ fruit came into the winery destined for our Piccadilly Valley Website: www.ashtonhills.com.au Pinot Noir and how they felt it deserved the chance to be elevated to another level. Enter the 2020 Ashton Hills Single Vineyard Cemetery Block. This fruit was identified as exceptional in Vintage 2020 and was set aside to stand on its own as a single vineyard wine.

There is a touch of serendipity in the fact that the first vineyard to carry this honour is the same block owned by the late Jim Grigg that was Stephen’s sole source of non-estate fruit for decades. See over the page for a profile of the Cemetery Block, which is now in the hands of Jim’s son and daughter in law.

This wine is not the only new addition to the Ashton Hills stable. The other is a little less serious and I have to take some responsibility for its incarnation, but more about that later in the newsletter.

CEMETERY BLOCK The ghosts of ancestors past can weigh heavily on a multi-generational farmer. There can be pressure to continue the family tradition and do things the way they were always done. For Jamie and Jenny Grigg there is a constant and visible reminder of the family lineage of their Piccadilly Valley plot – a tiny cemetery in the top corner where the three generations that preceded Jamie are all buried.

The property was first purchased by Jamie’s Great-Grandfather, Joseph Grigg in 1895 and run as a market garden for 99 years before Jamie’s Father, Jim Grigg planted chardonnay in 1994 and pinot noir in 1995. Jim decided to replace the organic crop of peas and beans with grapes thinking it would be easier to farm.

“Dad was pretty laconic and laid back, you were more likely to find him in the sun-room reading a book in his latter years than out in the vineyard,” Jamie explains.

Jim may have given his son and daughter-in-law a false idea of the amount of work involved in running a vineyard though. Winemaker Liam Van Pelt caught up with Jamie and Jenny on a sunny spring morning, interrupting their bud-bashing duties to chat about the release of the first Grower Pinot Noir from their Cemetery Block vineyard. Bud-bashing involves removing the small water shoots which can grow on the vine trunk, stealing vital energy which would otherwise go into making precious fruit. It’s one of the many manual tasks that goes into growing pinot noir worthy of a single vineyard release.

“People don’t realise the work involved,” Jamie says.

Jamie would help out on the property at key times of year, but until four years ago it was a job in banking that paid the bills. He retired from a successful career as an investment manager to run the vineyard with Jenny, swapping a keyboard and mouse for work boots and pruning secateurs.

“It was a steep learning curve in the beginning,” he said.

“But everyone in the industry is very helpful and plenty of locals dropped in to see how we were going and offer advice.”

Jenny has spent the last 25 years as a landscape gardener and her eye for the aesthetic is evident in the meticulous presentation of the vineyard. Together the couple manage the property and do all the work themselves, but there is a segregation of duties, with Jenny taking control of the chardonnay and Jamie the pinot noir. When Liam dared to ask if there was a clear

boss, Jamie was quick to answer. “Jenny is,” he said.

Jenny made a modest attempt to deny it, but it’s clear that her experience in landscaping has proven more useful than Jamie’s knowledge of the stock market.

“She prunes about three rows to my one and is great at problems solving any issues that arise,” Jamie said.

Despite the hard work and exposure to the elements, Jamie’s not tempted to return to an air-conditioned office.

“This is a lot better, I get to work outside in the fresh air,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I even went into Adelaide.”

As for the ghosts of previous generations judging their work?

“I think Jim would be proud,” Jenny said. “He’d never say it because he didn’t say much, but I think he’d get a kick out of seeing us in the vineyard.”

The 2020 Cemetery Block Pinot Noir is the first of an annual release to acknowledge our Piccadilly Valley pinot noir growers.

HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION Clare Valley Sparkling Shiraz 2015 “A sophisticated iteration of sparkling shiraz that really should be heritage listed.” - Tony Love Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 2020 “This is straight-out-of-the-blocks pure and delicious chardonnay... A-list.” - Tony Love Estate Pinot Noir 2020 “Aromatics and flavour profile run the full pinot fruit gamut of cherry and red plum. Delicious.”

- Tony Love

TASTE THE PICCADILLY TRAIL Are you looking for a unique way to explore the Adelaide Hills? Join Ashton Hills, Tapanappa, CRFT Wine and Greenhill Wines on the Piccadilly Trail.

Each of the cellar doors are different, as are the wines, the common thread being that the fruit source is the same cool climate region. Create your own picnic, nibble on appetizers, or indulge in a traditional lunch along the way.

The Trail is designed to allow maximum flexibility, with no set order to follow, and no time limit to be met. The Trail can be achieved in a day, a weekend, or over a series of weeks.

Ready to taste the Piccadilly Trail? Visit Ashton Hills, CRFT Wines, Greenhill Wines and Tapanappa, register at your first stop and purchase a bottle from each and collect a stamp to receive a complimentary set of two Riedel Pinot glasses. www.piccadillytrail.com

PINOT X PINOT A couple of years ago, our winemaker Liam was showing off the wines of an old friend, Greg Lane, who is doing exceptional work now in New Zealand.

He poured me a slightly chilled glass of light-bodied red and followed it up with the stock standard line – “What do you think of that?” I was intrigued. It was pinot, but pinot what? As it turns out, it was a blend of pinot noir and pinot gris made in a Beaujolais-style that would be perfect drinking on the Ashton Hills deck at cellar door over summer. Liam probably regrets ever pouring that glass, because he was soon tasked with coming up with his own spin on the style.

The end result is a wonderful new addition to the Ashton Hills stable, the 2021 Pinot x Pinot. A blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% pinot gris, this light red style is sure to be a hit with pinot lovers who enjoy a slightly chilled light red over summer. It makes a pleasant alternative to yet another bland rose! Given how quickly our riesling and sparkling shiraz disappear from sale, it will be nice to have an additional chilled alternative at the cellar door over the warmer months.

Volume is limited, so we recommend that you get in before word gets out and the seasonal demand takes over. AK

CHRISTMAS OFFERS

Holiday Dozen

Pinot Mixed Six

Festive Fizz Six

3 x 2018 Sparkling Vintage Rosé 3 x 2020 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 3 x 2021 Pinot x Pinot (New Release) 3 x 2020 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir

2 x 2020 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir 2 x 2020 Estate Pinot Noir (New Release) 2 x 2020 Single Vineyard Cemetery Block Pinot Noir (New Release)

4 x 2018 Sparkling Vintage Rosé

Winelist Price $430

Winelist Price $280

Winelist Price $250

Regular Price $480 FREE DELIVERY to anywhere in Australia

Regular Price $310

2 x 2015 Clare Valley Sparkling Shiraz (New Release)

Regular Price $280

Order by Friday 26 November for Pre-Christmas Delivery

www.ashtonhills.com.au; call Cellar Door on (08) 8390 1243; or email us at cellardoor@ashtonhills.com.au

HOLIDAY SEASON TRADING HOURS OPEN 26 - 31 December inclusive, 11am to 5pm.

Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day Regular trading hours resume Sunday 2 January 2022.

GROUP BOOKINGS: +61 8 8390 1243 Call to discuss your requirements.

Due to the intimate nature of our Cellar Door we recommend reservations for groups of six or more.

MORE TO LOVE The highly sought after, and otherwise sold out, 2020 Reserve Pinot Noir is now available in magnum format.

Awarded 98 points in the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion, the 1.5L gift boxed wine is available from Cellar Door only, by calling Liza on (08) 8390 1243.

Sold out in the 750ml format, this wine is extremely rare and expected to sell out before Christmas.