Elderton’s Wine Range – March 2023
If you have any questions about our wines, please contact our Cellar Door team on 08 8568 7878 or by email.
2019 COMMAND SHIRAZ *new vintage*
Command is truly an expression of place, and we are proud to be the current custodians of a rare piece of Barossa Valley viticultural heritage. Single vineyard, planted 1894, the Command block is celebrating 129 years in 2023, and is considered an Ancestor vineyard by the Barossa Old Vine Charter.
“Rich and commanding as always, with intense dark plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits, fruitcake spice, black strap licorice, high-cocoa dark chocolate, cedar and roasting meats. Full bodied and pure with superb fruit depth, superfine gypsum-like tannins and a concentrated and balanced finish that lingers admirably.”
96 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion“This 2019 Command Single Vineyard Shiraz is hugely concentrated… The fruit has such intensity that a couple more years isn’t going to bother it in the least. By “a couple more years,” I am of course meaning 10 or 15 plus.”
95 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate“A rich and dense wine but it remains compacted and very polished with plush tannins and a fresh, tangy finish… Really attractive now but can age well too.”
JamesSuckling.com
2020 ASHMEAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON *new vintage*
Only 537 bottles produced, from the 1915 Shiraz block at our Greenock vineyard. Magnums also available.
“An impressively proportioned wine with considerable fruit density and power… It’s no wallflower with a thick-shouldered, lumbering gait across the palate, super-concentrated black fruits, tight assertive tannins the provide savoury support and a hint of alcohol on the intense finish. One for the power hounds.”
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion 2023
“This is a wine for the long haul…”
96 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate
2020 ODE TO LORRAINE CABERNET, SHIRAZ, MERLOT *new vintage*
Named in honour of Lorraine Ashmead, co-founder of Elderton, the winemaking team at Elderton believe this is truly the hidden gem of our premium reds and one we know cellars brilliantly.
Trophy Winner – Best Wine $25-$60 – The Great Australian Red Challenge 2022
“Great depth. Great softness. Great balance. This is a ripe, full-bodied red wine with plum, blackberry and violet flavours purring powerfully through the palate. There’s creamy vanillin oak here too, and an associated smokiness, and rather than overwhelm these characters just add some polish; a sense of seduction. This is a fine Barossa red wine.”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson“Full-bodied with silky tannins. Fresh and well-ripened with a cool character mixing with subtle spice at the finish.”
93 points, JamesSuckling.com
2021 NEIL ASHMEAD GRAND TOURER SHIRAZ
A tribute to an amazing individual who was always willing to push the boundaries of expectations.
Gold Medal, Royal Melbourne Wine Show
“Ultra seductive red wine. Cedarwood oak on blackcurrant, redcurrant and crushed, woodsy spices. It rolls softly through the mouth but still feels fresh; there’s nothing gloopy about this. Complexity probably isn’t its strong suit but gee the fruit is lovely. You just want to sit down, settle in, sink in and enjoy. Lifted aromatics, lots of fruit, silken mouthfeel and good carry through the finish; ticks in all boxes.”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
2020 presented a challenging year with minute yields, smaller than average berry size and intense flavour. Our Barossa Shiraz comes from many parcels across our three vineyard sites. These vineyards ripen differently owing to their different aspects, elevation and soil types. Our Greenock vineyard is on the western end of the Barossa, first to ripen for us and always brings a vibrant bouquet and punchy tannin to our blend. Our Nuriootpa plantings bring a depth of tannin and a lovely sweet spiced fruit element and our Craneford vineyard is a more elevated site on leaner soils ripening later in the season.
“Big, bold and beautiful. And for good measure, tension between the cooler Eden Valley component (Craneford) and the richer flavours of the Barossa floor.”
94 points and Special Value, James Halliday“This is a red wine that will please a lot of folks. It’s generous, it’s creamy, it has that feel of bourbon-and-sweet-plum and it slips down smoothly. Right in the groove, this one.”
92 points, Campbell Mattinson
2021 BAROSSA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
“Full-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and fresh…”
92 points, JamesSuckling.com“This is a fresh-faced style but what sets it apart is the depth of fruit…”
91 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front“Excellent richness and concentration for a wine of its price.”
91 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
2022 BAROSSA GSM *new vintage*
After a couple of years not making a GSM, we are excited to bring this wine back in 2022! This blend is bright, elegant and textural with juicy raspberry notes and musk with a creamy backbone and a savoury finish.
“Chocolate and raspberries. This delivers a good volume of flavour and does so in generally soft style. Peppery/brackeny notes add a bit of savouriness to the equation though sweet fruit remains the main game here. This is better than most merlots going around.”
90 points, Campbell Mattinson
2020 BULLET SHIRAZ *CELLAR DOOR & MAILING LIST ONLY*
Having suffered through a small vintage in 2019, and with early forecasting suggesting 2020 was going to be similar, the Elderton team used our local network to source grapes for this label which is exclusive to you, our Commanders and Eldertonians, who are remarkable supporters of the Ashmead family.
There is no doubt that 2022 will be remembered as a great year for Riesling. We have kept our expression of 2022 as pure as possible, with as little intervention as we could. The result is a pristine example of Eden Valley Riesling. We are sure this wine will live a long time.
“Fair bet that this matures long and well. Intensity of both flavour and acidity is noteworthy, as is associated length. Lime and zesty lemon characters drive through the palate, the energy high, everything lively. The acidity here is arguably a touch assertive/ coarse but give it time and matters will soften.”
91+ points, Campbell Mattinson
As a single site wine, our Eden Valley Chardonnay will always show typicity of the vineyard, whilst varying with what each season brings. We are on a constant learning journey adapting to what the season brings. This vintage has a complex palate with creamy, limey flavours and a lovely subtle toasty note on the finish, balanced with lively acidity.
2021 BAROSSA SEMILLON
*CELLAR DOOR & MAILING LIST ONLY* This is our third release of dry Semillon, from our Greenock vineyard. The 2021 Barossa Semillon is rich, textural and expressive. A supple and generous palate with creamy weight intertwined with notes of lemon curd, grassy tones and a generous yet vibrant finish.
DUKE OF WELLINGTON CELLAR TAWNY
*CELLAR DOOR & MAILING LIST ONLY*
*Special Release*Duke of Wellington was the name of our tawny port made through the 1980s and we have revived the name for this wine. It is a tribute to Lorraine’s late father (named Wellington, nicknamed Duke) who originally found and bought the Nuriootpa property in the late 1970s.
Our Golden Semillon is not produced every year – only when vintage conditions are considered favourable for a later harvest of our Semillon, allowing the development of the unique characters required in this luscious style.
If you have any questions about our wines, please contact our Cellar Door team on 08 8568 7878 or by email.
Story from our newsletter, the Elderton Buzz – March 2023 edition
