WINELIST No. 71
Dear friends of Ashton Hills,
As I sit writing this, I’m reminded of why the Piccadilly Valley is the perfect place for premium Pinot Noir. It’s the middle of November and we are seemingly sitting in a cloud, with misty rain falling and a gentle breeze rustling the trees. As tranquil as that sounds, this year has been going at light speed since my last contact in May.
In June we closed the cellar door to refresh the space after many years. I traded in the ferment plunger for the sander and paint brush and gave Shane, our Site Manager, a hand in building some furniture for the fit-out. You can read more about this over the page.
Our bubbly and bright Cellar Door Manager, Liza, also decided to call time on her tenure here at Ashton Hills in June. Liza joined us in 2019 and did an amazing job as the face of the Ashton Hills Cellar Door. We wish her all the best on her next adventure and thank her for her years of pouring our wine and telling our story.
When we were looking for our next Cellar Door Manager we knew we needed to find someone special, and after a long and intense search, our prayers were answered. Tamara Tiller has joined the team, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Tamara’s experience in McLaren Vale, and more recently running Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door, sees her in great shape to continue the legacy of Ashton Hills being one of the best cellar door experiences in the Adelaide Hills.
Another highlight this year was the release of two special Single Vineyard Pinot Noir wines. Over the last couple of years Ashton Hills has been lucky enough to lease both the Woods Hill and Bowhouse vineyards here in the Piccadilly Valley. This has allowed us to gain almost complete control of all our fruit resources, ensuring we deliver wines of the
highest quality. 2024 was the perfect year to highlight how special and unique these two sites are with the release of the 2024 Woods Hill and 2024 Bowhouse Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs.
This past weekend we held our annual Martini Club lunches here at the winery, starting with a clonal tasting of 2025 Pinots from our Bowhouse vineyard followed by a look at the current releases paired with some delicious food from chef Brad Sappenberghs. Thank you to all of our club members who attended and shared a glass with us!
Finally as this edition goes to print, I’m pleased to report blending has now been completed for the 2025 Reserve Pinot Noir. After a couple of challenging years, we were happy to welcome a beautiful growing season and look forward to releasing this wine to Martini Club members in September 2026.
With the silly season almost here, it’s a great time to remind you that if you are planning a visit to the Ashton Hills Cellar Door, please book online or call Tamara to make arrangements. We look forward to welcoming you this summer. - Liam, Winemaker
CHARDONNAY GLOBAL TOP 100
The 2024 Ashton Hills Reserve Chardonnay from Piccadilly Valley has been ranked #51 in the 2025 VINOUS Top 100 Wines - one of only five Australian wines to make the list.
VINOUS is internationally recognised for its influence in fine wine, conducting over 35,000 tastings annually.
The 2024 Reserve is a barrel selection from multiple Piccadilly Valley parcels, fermented with indigenous yeast and matured on lees for nine months.
“I’m looking for a balance of power and elegance when selecting parcels for the Reserve, that tension is the hallmark of great Chardonnay,” says Liam.
Shop final bottles now online or in Cellar Door, while stocks last.
REVIEWS & ACCOLADES
96
Reserve
Chardonnay 2024
96 Points, Ryan Montgomery, JamesSuckling.com
“A selection from the best barrels and parcels, bringing finesse and tension.”
95
Bowhouse Pinot Noir 2024
95 Points, Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
“Fantastic in its layers of flavours and aromas... overall a compelling wine.”
95
Estate Pinot Noir 2024
95 Points, Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion
“A succulent, oh-so-pure, fresh and revitalising pinot noir... it nails the brief.”
HOLIDAY SEASON TRADING HOURS
OPEN 27 - 31 December 11am to 5pm inclusive
Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Regular trading hours resume Friday 2 January 2026
BOOKINGS: +61 8 8390 1243 or ashtonhills.com.au/pages/visit-us
NEW SPACE, SAME STUNNING VIEWS
After a brief winter closure, the freshly painted doors to our rejuvenated cellar door were reopened in spring.
The character of the cosy cellar door remains, with its exposed beams, corrugated walls and fireplace, but there’s a few new additions to the space.
A major focus of the project was creating more opportunities for visitors to sit and take in the sweeping views of the Piccadilly Valley and our estate vineyard. There’s now a new window bench that runs the entire length of the cellar door, offering a relaxed vantage point to enjoy a tasting or glass of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay and observe the seasons.
A new self-serve pantry, stocked with local produce, allows customers to build their own platters and spend the afternoon. The layout has also been updated to include more group seating options, along with a daily 10 am session reserved exclusively for a single group booking.
Much of the work behind the refresh was completed in-house, led by our site manager Shane Venning, pictured below right, who crafted all of the new joinery and carpentry, bringing the renovation together with care.
With the busy holiday season ahead, bookings are encouraged to enjoy the beautifully renewed space.
CHRISTMAS OFFERS
Sparkling Six
3 x 2021 Piccadilly Valley Vintage Rosé Sparkling
3 x 2018 Clare Valley Sparkling Shiraz
$324 FREE DELIVERY to anywhere in Australia
Festive Six
2 x 2024 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay
2 x 2024 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir
2 x 2024 Estate Pinot Noir
$380 FREE DELIVERY to anywhere in Australia
Order by 5pm Friday 12 December for FREE Pre-Christmas Delivery www.ashtonhills.com.au; call Cellar Door on (08) 8390 1243; or email cellardoor@ashtonhills.com.au
RARE RELEASE
We’re delighted to share a special opportunity, just in time for the festive season.
A rare museum release of the 2021 Estate Pinot Noir, now in a beautiful drinking window.
2021 was widely considered to be an excellent vintage across South Australia and the Piccadilly Valley was no exception. The result is a Pinot Noir of striking purity and detail, offering the elegance and fine structure that Ashton Hills is known for.
96 Points, Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal
“Beautiful negroni and strawberry aromas topped by vanilla notes… lovely fresh strawberry, roasted chestnut, fine chalky textures… finishing al dente with a tannin plume. Lovely fruit complexity, viscosity and mineral length.”
Recieve free delivery on orders of 6 bottles or more this holiday season.
96
2024 Ashton Hills Gamay 94 Points
2024 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir 94 Points
2024 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir 1.5L Magnum (1 bottle limit)
2024 Woods Hill Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 95 Points
2024 Bowhouse Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 95 Points
2024 Estate Pinot Noir 96 Points
2021 Estate Pinot Noir Museum Release 96 Points
2025 Estate Riesling
2024 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 95 Points
2024 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay 1.5L Magnum (1 bottle limit)
2024 Reserve Chardonnay (3 bottle limit) 95 Points + Vinous Top 100
2021 Piccadilly Valley Vintage Rosé Sparkling (3 bottle limit)
2018 ClareValley Sparkling Shiraz (3 bottle limit) 95 Points Sparkling Six Festive Six
Offers
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