WINELIST No. 64 Dear WineList Member… Vintage 2022 is well underway and will likely be completed by the time this reaches you. It started a couple of weeks later than recent years after the mild summer that we have enjoyed in SA and the Adelaide Hills. Liam is not complaining as the first few weeks of March were free to attend Adelaide Fringe events without the small inconvenience of harvest getting in the way! Liam and his trusty sidekicks Harry and Josh are pushing through what will be a lighter crush this year after the bumper – well bumper for Ashton Hills – crop of 2021, a year described by our neighbour Brian Croser as “near-perfect”. Of course, Stephen George still wanders down the hill for the occasional interlude and afternoon tea of Burgundy and local cheeses. After a season of good winter rains, the inconsistent weather pattern over Spring, as fruit was setting, has led to Adelaide Hills pinot noir crops being down a little this year. On the plus side, the mild summer has provided perfect long ripening conditions for colour and flavour development.
winemaker tastings with Liam that will commence after vintage. Look out for details on the new Reserve Chardonnay in this issue. Liam has flexed his winemaking muscles on a barrel of 2021 chardonnay that he deemed to be exceptional, and the results speak for themselves. The Adelaide Hills hits the peak of its beauty in Autumn, so if you get a chance pay a visit to the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens and then wander down the road to taste our latest batch of new releases. Liza and Shelby are waiting to greet you. Cheers, Andrew Kay Managing Director Facebook: www.facebook.com/AshtonHillsVineyard Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashtonhillsvineyard Website: www.ashtonhills.com.au
The biennial cropping pattern is not unusual for pinot noir, which is why we have to make the most of the more prolific years like 2021. While the grapes were progressing, so was the winery with a few things worth noting. Firstly, we now have a proper winery sized shed to store our barrels in one spot and make life a lot easier for Liam to manage the wine. It should also mean that we no longer need to have fermenters, barrels and bins cast all over the estate while we seek any vacant space for storage. It will also free up one of the small storage rooms to be converted into a private area for exclusive
Left to right: Harry, Liam and Josh