Adelaide Hills Autumn wine reviews

Adelaide Hills/Piccadilly Valley/Ashton | 11.5% | $50

Ashton Hills is best known as the OG star of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, and remains so.

Its Chardonnay is pretty smart as well, and also this delicious Riesling, which comes off a tiny estate section of just over a thousand vines, crafted by winemaker Liam Van Pelt.

It won the best Riesling trophy at the 2025 Adelaide Hills Wine Show late last year by celebrating all the joys of the variety with its sliced lemon and orchard floral nose, a palate that layers the zing of citrus with a subtle lime cordial richness and residual sweetness, flavours enhanced, refreshment ensured. It’s a beauty.

Adelaide Hills/Lenswood | 13.5% | $33

Geoff Weaver is renowned for his eloquent touch with the Sauvignon Blanc grown at his Lenswood estate vineyard, and he’s right on song with this 2025 iteration, which calms the variety’s usual nasal attack with a more measured herb and spice spectrum of aromas – think along the lines of thyme and rosemary.

He’s a stickler for Sauvignon Blanc with depths of ripeness and flavour, here savoury layers adding interest and concentration to its inherent, yet delicate tropical fruit notes for a more sophisticated style beyond most everyday sauvignons.

Adelaide Hills/Lenswood | 12.5% | $56

One of three Chardonnays from the Murdoch Hill mob, under winemaking steerage by Michael Downer.

This won four trophies at the recent regional wine show: best Chardonnay, best single vineyard wine, best white wine and finally best wine of show.

Sourced from the family’s Lenswood vineyard, with a tight fruit profile – yellow citrus and crunchy white nectarine – introduced with aromas that offer a little flint-like character, while the palate is quite compact, 30% new oak and natural fruit acidity delicately handled for the absolute benefit of the expression. Exceptional.

Adelaide Hills/Mt Torrens | 14.5% | $55

Though based at Hahndorf, this wine comes into the Lane portfolio from a single vineyard in Mt Torrens.

Tempranillo was one of the first “alternative” reds in the Hills region to gain notice, and this shows what it can achieve in its best examples.

Aromatic with iron filings and inky notes, rocket leaf and sarsaparilla – altogether a more earthy/savoury expression – which also applies to the palate along with its fruit suggestions of tart and subtly sour dark cherry.

Genuinely engaging and fulfilling, fine, resolved, textural tannins completing this fully realised, excellent wine. Do try it.

Adelaide Hills/Lenswood | 13% | $35

La Linea is a pioneer in the Hills with Spanish varieties, firstly with Tempranillo and since then with Albarino and Mencia.

The latter can stretch from light and easy to more complex variations, this iteration from the hands of winemaker Peter Leske looking firstly more towards earlier drinking, though gathering some concentration if you leave it in a decanter for a while, or drink it over a few days.

It has all that early picked red cherry/red plum crush aroma, with a fleshiness and crunch in the palate feels, and a cool climate spice note akin to ground pepper.

Loves a platter of deli meats and pickles.

Adelaide Hills/Woodside | 13.5% | $45

Cloudbreak is the personal project of Jack Tomich, who also crafts the Tomich Wines portfolio.

Pinot Noir is his passion, this his top shelf release which reflects its quirky vineyard source, where 5% of aromatic white Gewurztraminer vines were accidentally left after replanting and now included in a co-ferment.

This explains a distinctive fragrance, a dark rose and black peppery note, high toned crimson fruit as well with Middle Eastern-like herbs and spices, oregano, red peppercorn.

It slides down easily in the drinking and has a delicious elegance about it. Unique in so many attractive ways.