“Medical practitioner Dr Brian Gilbert began collecting wine when he was 19, flirting with the idea of becoming a winemaker before being pointed firmly in the direction of medicine by his parents. Thirty or so years later he purchased a blackberry- and gorse-infested 12ha property in the Adelaide Hills, eventually obtaining permission to establish a vineyard. Chardonnay (2ha) was planted in 2004 and 1ha of pinot noir in ’07, both on steep slopes.”



— James Halliday,
Halliday Wine Companion

Our Philosophy



We’re dedicated to producing premium cool-climate wines, with a particular interest in the two classics: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Plus the occasional Sparkling.

Our vineyard is located between Summertown, Ashton and Uraidla ⁠— all famous for similar wines ⁠— and only 500m from the now wine famous Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills. Mt Lofty towers above all these places ⁠— but the useful characteristics that this area has are elevation, wind protection and high rainfall.

We carefully prune our vines to keep crop levels below 3 tonnes per acre, while watering as little as possible, spraying as little as possible, and making the best wine possible. Simple, really.

This commitment to limiting crop levels maximises quality. High natural acidity gives the wines a clean finish and good cellaring potential.

Outstanding wines



Our first real vintage was 2008, and the first wine we completed (the ’08 Lofty Valley Unwooded Chardonnay) won a Silver Medal and was awarded the highest point score of any 2008 Chardonnay in the Adelaide Hills Regional Wine Show 2008.

Since then, James Halliday has awarded our Pinot 95 points (2013), and the Chardonnay 96 points (2012) and 94 points (2012).

Our 2012 ‘Steeped’ Pinot was judged the “Hottest” wine in South Australia.



We acknowledge and pay respect to the Peramangk people — the original inhabitants of the Mount Lofty Ranges — and recognise their ongoing connection with the land on which we live and farm. We pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.

© Copyright 2023, Lofty Valley Estate | Website updated by Koren Helbig