We had the pleasure of Michael Downer's company at our Artisans of Australia tasting this week, where he showcased his stunning new Adelaide Hills Artisan range.
The purity and elegance of these wines was a thing to behold. They are fine, beautifully poised and polished. The reviews for the latest bottlings from Nick Stock for James Suckling bear out Michael's great success this year.
"Our vision is to produce authentic, sustainable wines that show the great character, elegance and finesse of the Adelaide Hills." - Michael Downer
The 2021 Phaeton Pinot Noir is the best release to date under this label. Fine, fragrant, a classic alluring nose of red fruits with floral overtones - it's class-A Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir from two vineyards in the cool Piccadilly sub-region.
The 2021 Tilbury Chardonnay, possibly Michael's signature wine over the years and often his most lauded, is tense and mineral-charged, powerful and exceptionally long in flavour - beautiful now but with plenty of promise for what's ahead. It's firmly in the upper echelon of Chardonnays from this region.
The 2020 Landau Syrah hails from the infamous 2020 vintage where Michael counts himself extraordinarily lucky that he and his family averted the bushfires that ravaged the region. He has one of the few pristine Shiraz/Syrah wines we've seen from the Hills in that vintage. It's a bittersweet release, a wine that will remind many of a tragic year, where there were few silver linings.
There is something for everyone in the tremendous value Murdoch Hill range, with great press from the likes of Mike Bennie and James Halliday on the Estate range and huge scores from Nick Stock on the Artisan range. These Artisan Series wines are only available as a limited release and with the hot press will likely disappear quickly. Shop the full Murdoch Hill range below.
SHOP MURDOCH HILL
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