Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

Scion in Rutherglen has been a switched-on producer from the outset but the amount of detail and application going into all aspects of the making, growing and running of the overall business keeps pushing towards and into new levels. Not only a producer of note; a producer worth supporting.

David Brookes, Gourmet Traveller Wine

...one of Rutherglen's most exciting producers. Here dynamic young winemaker Rowly Milhinch produces some top wines from his 3.5 hectares of vines. He's part of the Rutherglen new school and the funky cellar door, with its corrugated iron and asymmetric lines, is a terrific visit. The varieties speak of regional tradition - orange muscat, viognier, durif and brown muscat - but there is a distinctly contemporary approach to the winemaking. A finely textured viognier with a beautiful line, a cracking pinot meunier, and durif as well as durif viognier blends that are fragrant and compact, showing delightfully supple tannins, spacious palates and a savoury lean all make for fine drinks. There are also some brilliant sweet wines; an off-dry white muscat and durif and a sexy Grand muscat. This is a winery with a promising future.

Campbell Mattinson, Gourmet Traveller Wine

Scion is a new star of the Rutherglen region. Janice Milhinch and her son Rowland Milhinch only started Scion (“from bare earth”) a decade ago, though they are part of the extended Morris clan. From the start they’ve been keen to pay homage to the traditions of Rutherglen wine, with their own personal twists. Less alcohol, more elegance is Janice’s way of describing their goal. There is a general thoughtfulness to the Scion wines that is difficult to define, but easy to taste in the wines. Expect to find individuality writ large here – in the best sense of the word. I found myself swooning; I even liked the off-dry Fleur table white made with muscat grapes.

Ralph Kyte-Powell, Wine Regions of Victoria..


'In the hilly gold country just south of Rutherglen township, Scion is one of the region’s newest vineyards, yet tradition is never far away. Durif and Muscat, both local legends, are specialities, but they are sometimes made into innovative new wave styles, as well as the time-honoured classic types. There’s an arty feel to the corrugated iron cellar door and winery, set off by the crazy angles of its tumble-down verandah, and interior walls graced with superb photography.'

Max Allen, The Weekend Australian..

Think of Rutherglen and you probably think of history – barrels of ancient Muscat, dusty old cellars, sixth-generation winemakers, right? Well yes…but there is also a growing band of new arrivals and new wine styles injecting energy into the region – start-up producers such as Rutherglen Estate and Valhalla – and old names such as All Saints reinventing themselves.

One of the best newcomers is Scion Vineyard. Jan Milhinch and her son Rowly are descended from G.F. Morris, one of Rutherglen’s pioneers, but have only been in the wine game since 2002, when they established a small winery just outside town. Their range of wines is a nice mix of the innovative and the thoroughly traditional.

On one hand you have wines like the Fleur, an exotically perfumed and peachy/honey-flavoured white with a clean, dry finish made from orange muscat grapes; a full-bodied but elegant 13-ish percent alcohol dry red made from durif; and an amazingly complex, satisfying Sweet Durif, which is more like a French Banyuls than any “port” I’ve tasted from Australia.

But on the other hand, the Scion Melba Muscat, a blend of many different years, is classic Rutherglen; unctuous, syrupy and intensely sweet, like liquid raisins and exotic spices. A great tribute to their Morris heritage. 

Wine awards

Trophies
Durif 2015 - Best Australian Durif, Rutherglen Wine Show 2018
Durif 2015 - Best Rutherglen Dry Red, Rutherglen Wine Show 2018
Lineage Durif 2008 - Best Australian Durif, Rutherglen Wine Show 2010
Lineage Durif 2008Best North East Victorian Dry Red, Rutherglen Wine Show 2010
Lineage Durif 2008Best Rutherglen Dry Red, Rutherglen Wine Show 2010

Gold medals

Durif 2014North East Victorian Wine Challenge 2016
Durif Viognier 2014 - North East Victorian Wine Challenge 2016
Durif 2013 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2015
After Dark 2014 - North East Victorian Wine Challenge 2015
Viognier 2015 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2015
Viognier 2014 - Cairns Wine Show 2015
Viognier 2013 - Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show 2014 
Lineage Durif 2008 - Australian Small Winemakers Show 2010
Lineage Durif 2008 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2010
Sweet Durif (After Dark) 2008 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2009
Lineage Durif 2006 - Victorian Wine Show 2012

Silver medals

Viognier 2015 - North East Victorian Wine Challenge 2015
Durif Viognier 2013 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2015
Viognier 2013 - Rutherglen Wine Show 2014
Sweet Durif 2006 - Australian Small Winemakers Show 2007
Lineage Durif 2006 - Myrtleford Wine Show
Melba Grand Muscat - Myrtleford Wine Show 
Rose Muscat 2012 - Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2012
Lineage Durif 2006 - Rutherglen Wine Show
Sweet Durif 2006 - Rutherglen Wine Show 
Lineage Durif 2006 - Victorian Wine Show
Lineage Durif 2008 - Victorian Wine Show
Lineage Durif 2006 - Winewise Small Vignerons Awards
Lineage Durif 2008 - Winewise Small Vignerons Awards

Federation Square (Melbourne) North-East Regional Showcase Series
Lineage Durif 2005 - Best Red. People’s Choice Award
Lineage Durif 2006 - Best Red. People’s Choice Award 
Sweet Durif 2006 - Best Fortified. People’s Choice Award
Sweet Durif 2008 - Best Fortified. People’s Choice Award (two consecutive years)

5 stars
Grand Muscat - Winestate Magazine 2014
Melba Grand Muscat - Winestate Magazine 2012

4.5 stars
James Halliday. Durif 2013
James Halliday. Lineage Durif 2008
James Halliday. Lineage Durif 2006
James Halliday. Sweet Durif 2006
The Age, Epicure. Single Vintage Muscat 2007
The Weekly Review. Affinity 2010
The Weekly Review. After Dark 2007
The Weekly Review. Lineage Durif 2008
Winestate Magazine 2015. Durif 2013

Top 100 Victorian Wines - VIC100 (2015)
Durif Viognier 2012
Viognier 2014

Top 100 Victorian Wines - VIC100 (2014)
Durif Viognier 2012

Top drops of 2010
The Age, Epicure. Sweet Durif 2008

Best reds of 2010
Winestate Magazine. Lineage Durif 2008

Top Dozen of 2010
Wineweek. Lineage Durif 2008