Sidewood Estate 2025 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir has won Best Pinot Noir in Show at the 2026 Royal Adelaide Wine Awards – the first South Australian Pinot to win that trophy for 17 years.
Starvedog Lane 2008 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir won the trophy in 2009.
Sidewood owner Owen Inglis says the trophy marks a coming of age for Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.
“We see the region’s continuing development as a producer of still Pinot Noir being driven by maturing vineyards and increasing familiarity with the variety among its winemakers and viticulturists,” he said.
“The quality of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir has come on enormously as the vines have matured and we have learnt more about working with them.
“This is a significant milestone for the region, and we believe the wines will continue to get better.”
Sourced entirely from Sidewood’s Mappinga Road vineyard in Oakbank, the wine combines six clones: Abel, Oberlin, 777, MV6, 667 and Pommard.
The addition of Pommard and 667 distinguishes the 2025 blend from previous vintages, expanding its composition from four clones to six.
Together with what Sidewood describes as a perfect growing season, the additions provided greater scope for complexity in the finished wine.
“For us, 2025 brought together the benefits of vineyard development, a broader clonal palette and a perfect growing season,” says Inglis.
“Pommard and 667 added another layer to the blend, complementing the four clones we had already been working with.”
Sidewood planted its first Pinot Noir vines 15 years ago.
Its Pinot Noir program now encompasses eight clones, with 114 and 115 coming on stream alongside the six used in the 2025 wine.
The estate’s approach is grounded in understanding how each clone performs at Mappinga Road and how the individual components work together to express the vineyard.
“Each vintage adds to our understanding of this site,” says Inglis.
“Having more clones gives us more options, but the purpose is to make a more complete wine that reflects where it was grown.”
Founded in 2004 by Owen and Cassandra Inglis, Sidewood Estate is a family-owned Adelaide Hills wine producer.