There’s a certain kind of quiet confidence you find in the highest, coolest corners of the Adelaide Hills — where the nights bite, the mornings mist over, and Pinot Noir feels like it actually belongs. In Carey Gully, in the Piccadilly Valley, Scanlon Wines is one of those small, family-run stories that punches well above its size: estate-grown fruit, hands-on farming, and wines built around perfume, energy and texture.
At the centre of it is Harry Scanlon, a winemaker shaped by both home soil and serious mentorship — and a vineyard that’s been treated like a long-term project from the start. If you love Adelaide Hills Pinot (or you’re trying to understand why this region gets wine people so excited), Scanlon is a great name to know.
A family vineyard first, a winery story second
Scanlon Wines doesn’t start with marketing — it starts with horticulture, hard work, and a genuine “do it properly” mindset. Harry’s dad, Justin Scanlon, spent most of his life in horticulture before turning a long-held dream into reality: planting and building a vineyard that could produce genuinely high-quality cool-climate fruit. Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc went into the ground first, and later a high-density Pinot planting was added — the kind of decision that signals intent, because high density isn’t the easy option. It’s more work, more attention, more risk… but also more potential detail in the finished wine.
That commitment shows up in the way the vineyard is managed: hands-on, low-yield focused, and guided by organic principles. It’s not the “set and forget” version of viticulture. It’s the kind of farming where the goal is healthy vines and fruit quality first, because everything in the winery gets easier when the grapes are genuinely good.
Where they’re based: Carey Gully, Piccadilly Valley (Adelaide Hills)
The Scanlon estate sits in Carey Gully, inside the Piccadilly Valley sub-region — a prestige pocket of the Adelaide Hills known for altitude, cold nights and long, slow ripening. This is the cool-climate end of the Hills where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can hold tension, and Sauvignon Blanc stays bright with naturally crisp acidity.
Adelaide Hills, in general, is a region of contrast — different elevations and aspects create different microclimates — but the Piccadilly Valley is widely loved for its ability to deliver purity and structure at the same time. When you taste a great Hills Pinot, it often feels like it has “lift” — not just flavour, but momentum. Scanlon’s wines lean straight into that.
Quick Adelaide Hills context: This is one of Australia’s key cool-climate regions — especially respected for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, with altitude and cold nights helping wines keep fragrance and natural acidity.
If you’re shopping the style, it’s worth exploring both White Wine and Pinot Noir on Wine Simple — the Hills sits right in the sweet spot for both.
Harry Scanlon: mentors, Burgundy inspiration, and a clear house style
Harry grew up around the family vineyard, but his winemaking direction was sharpened by real-world experience and some genuinely influential mentors. He learned under the late Taras Ochota (Ochota Barrels), and spent time alongside respected Adelaide Hills Pinot specialists — the kind of grounding that teaches you the difference between “making wine” and “revealing a site.”
The consistent thread through Scanlon’s story is Burgundy — not as a buzzword, but as a reference point for restraint, detail, and age-worthiness. On Scanlon’s own notes, the focus is minimal intervention when it makes sense, and confident, precise decisions when it doesn’t. That’s a pretty adult approach for a young winemaker: romantic enough to chase purity, practical enough to protect it.
Estate fruit, high-density Pinot, and a very deliberate sourcing approach
Scanlon is estate grown and estate made, and the vineyard work is treated as the main event. Their Pinot plantings include multiple clones, and those clonal choices matter — not as geek trivia, but because they allow a more layered final blend. One clone might bring red fruit and lift, another might bring spice, tannin shape, or darker depth. When it’s done well, you don’t taste “clones” — you taste completeness.
The high-density blocks are also a key piece of the Scanlon identity. High-density Pinot is often pursued for tighter bunches, smaller berries and increased concentration — but it also tends to demand more attention in the vineyard. It’s a style of farming that aligns with Scanlon’s overall philosophy: lower yields, higher detail, and a long-term view.
Winemaking philosophy: minimal intervention, but never “hands off”
“Minimal intervention” can mean a lot of things in modern wine. At Scanlon, it reads more like a practical rule: keep the fruit expression intact, build texture carefully, and don’t drown cool-climate character in heavy-handed winemaking. The oak choices lean French and measured, used as seasoning rather than a headline.
Their JMS Pinot Noir offers a useful glimpse into the house mindset. It’s deliberately selected from the top sections of the vineyard and made in a more powerful, structured style — with thoughtful extraction and time on skins — then matured in French oak to frame the fruit and tannins. The point isn’t “big Pinot” for the sake of it; it’s a deeper Piccadilly Valley expression that rewards time and attention.
The wines: three clear expressions, one clear identity
Scanlon’s range is tight by design — and that’s part of the appeal. Instead of trying to be everything, they put energy into a few wines that genuinely represent their place and priorities.
Estate Pinot Noir is the “lift and elegance” side of Scanlon: fragrant, fine-boned, built around bright fruit and an easy flow across the palate. JMS Pinot Noir is the more intense, structured sibling — a wine that leans into depth, tannin architecture and that Burgundian nod to ageability. Then there’s their Fumé Blanc: a barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc inspired by Sancerre, built for texture and savoury complexity rather than simple zing.
Halliday mentions, industry attention, and why people are watching Scanlon
Harry was named a 2024 Young Gun of Wine finalist, which is a strong signal in the Australian wine scene — it’s the kind of recognition that tends to land on winemakers who are doing something real, not just something loud.
On the critical side, Scanlon’s JMS Pinot Noir has also attracted serious attention, including a 94-point score and the short, punchy endorsement: “Elegant, refined, excellent.” That sort of comment suits Scanlon perfectly — because that’s the thread running through their wines: detail, restraint, and a finish that doesn’t need to shout.
Wines to try (via Wine Simple collections)
If Scanlon’s style sounds like your thing, here are the best places to browse on Wine Simple — no dead links, no hunting:
- Shop Pinot Noir — for that Adelaide Hills perfume, spice and cool-climate structure.
- Shop White Wine — for textural whites (including Sauvignon Blanc styles like Fumé Blanc).
- Shop Red Wine — if you want to compare Scanlon’s Pinot to other modern Aussie reds.
- Shop Halliday-rated Wines — if points and benchmarks matter to how you buy.
Food pairing suggestions (Scanlon style)
Scanlon’s wines sit in that sweet spot where they can go fancy or casual — they’ve got structure, but they’re still built for the table.
- Estate Pinot Noir: roast chicken, duck with cherry glaze, mushroom risotto, grilled salmon, or a simple charcuterie board.
- JMS Pinot Noir: lamb shoulder, pork belly, wild mushroom pasta, smoked meats, or anything with browned edges and savoury depth.
- Fumé Blanc: oysters, kingfish sashimi, grilled prawns, goat’s cheese salads, roast chook with lemon, or salty hot chips when you want “serious wine, zero ceremony.”
Buy Scanlon Wines online (Australia-wide) from Wine Simple
If you’re chasing cool-climate Adelaide Hills wines with real intent behind them — the kind that feel handmade rather than manufactured — Scanlon belongs on your shortlist. Explore the collections above, build a mixed case, and get it delivered anywhere in Australia.
Start here: Wine Simple home — your online wine destination for boutique Australian producers and wines worth talking about.
