The Adelaide Hills as a favourable wine district is recent. The terrain pitches wildly and it took till the modern era to understand that the slope facings, to all the compass points, produced an admirable diversity, while the general high altitude favoured a flavour akin to cooler regions from more Southern Latitudes and lower elevations.
The high ground further east, the Eden Valley, also produces wines of the cooler style though the ground is gently undulating and so has a longer, thus historical, wine history. So the Adelaide Hills vineyards are small and variable. A bit of good ground here and a further tiny parcel over the hill crest. Pocket handkerchief vineyards. Less common is exposure to the summer heat which ripens Shiraz and this ‘Sunday Drive’ we found irresistible and so purchased from a small garagiste maker. Cool climate though in the style of Eden Valley.
