Australia · South Australia

Ashton Hills

Ashton Hills is a small, high-quality producer in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, founded by Stephen George in 1982. George planted vines in the Piccadilly Valley subregion at elevations of 380–520 metres — some of the highest in the Adelaide Hills — deliberately seeking cool-climate conditions suitable for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that were unusual in South Australian viticulture at the time. The flagship wine Obliqua, a Pinot Noir first produced in 1987, has become one of Australia's most respected cool-climate expressions of the variety, consistently demonstrating concentration, complexity, and ageing potential that challenge received wisdom about Australian Pinot Noir. George was also associated with a group of premium South Australian producers and maintained the estate as a one-man operation for most of its history. Across 438 auction lots, the estate averages $205 per bottle with prices reaching $770. Stephen George sold Ashton Hills to Wirra Wirra in 2015. The Reserve Obliqua and standard Obliqua from the George era are the most sought-after at auction.