Wine Review: Ashton Hills' 'Delicious' Piccadilly Pinot Noir

I just tried this the other day. I was dining at Fino Seppeltsfield and the lovely Sharon Romeo (Fino’s co-owner) ushered me over to look at some wines that were being shown to her. The new range of Ashton Hills wines was on the countertop; all looking fantastic but it was this particular wine, the 2016 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir, which resonated with me.

Three Piccadilly sites make the cut for this blend: the Ashton Hills home vineyard; Jim Grigg’s Cemetery Block at Uraidla and the Bickles Road, Summertown block, which is managed by the Blefari family. This wine stands out for its airy, ethereal demeanour; akin to a Poulsard from the Jura in France, there is a diaphanous curtain of ripe fruit, poised delicately with plenty of light/space with a lovely savoury palate. It’s just delicious drinking.

Gorgeous cherry-scented fruit walks that knife-edge of ripeness with some Amaro herbal notes and Campari-like tones coming into play for good measure. The fruit is underscored with hints of exotic spice, violet and jasmine top notes, mushroom broth and a seam of gamey complexity that draws you into the glass.

Detail, clarity and complexity are the leitmotifs here and it is keenly priced for a wine of its vinous pedigree. Full of character and brimming with inherent drinkability, it is true to its variety and place of origin. You can’t ask for too much more than that.

ASHTON HILLS 2016 Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir

ashtonhills.com.au