Our Wines – September 2024
If you have any questions about our wines, please contact our Cellar Door team on 08 8568 7878 or by email.
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 130 years in 2024, and is considered an Ancestor vineyard by the Barossa Old Vine Charter.
My first thought on tasting this wine was simply, wow, this might just be the very best Command Shiraz I can recall…
98 points, Ken Gargett, winepilot.comI’m not sure I have seen a better example of Command in all the years I have been tasting it…
98 points, Ray Jordan, winepilot.com
2022 ASHMEAD CABERNET SAUVIGNON
In 1997 the family sat down to discuss the viability of a 1944 Cabernet block – its saving grace was simply the pure brilliance of the fruit. It was, and is, always the standout Cabernet block on our Nuriootpa property.
…elegant and restrained, yet you know those 78-year-old cabernet vines will deliver plenty as it ages…Vibrant and bright with the capacity for extended cellaring.
95 points, Ray Jordan, winepilot.comA rich and powerful Cabernet from a very fine year… Good concentration, the structure offers direction and focus, with power and a firm, long finished. A superbly crafted wine,
94 points, Ken Gargett, winepilot.com
2021 ODE TO LORRAINE CABERNET, SHIRAZ, MERLOT
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.
“Beautiful wine with intense blackcurrant pastille, cedar, vanilla aromas with hints of panforte… Builds up firm with seductive juicy dark berry fruits and savoury complexity.”
95 points, The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide 2023 by Andrew Caillard MW and Angus Hughson“…sense of elegance as the wine flows across the palate finishing long and fruit pure.”
94 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion“A whole lot of flavour here…”
93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
2022 NEIL ASHMEAD GRAND TOURER SHIRAZA tribute to an amazing individual who was always willing to push the boundaries of expectations. Neil was a ‘Barossa Road Warrior’ like no other. Driving tirelessly from city to city with a car loaded with wine, doing tastings and dinners with whoever would listen, and generally spruiking the Barossa. It was his love of fast cars that made this pursuit a little easier, thus the unusual choice for the name of this Shiraz.
Gold medal, Royal Melbourne Wine Show
“In the mouth, the wine is supple and spicy, loaded with red and black fruit flavor and lit up by a constellation of exotic spice. This is delicious drinking here, really good.”
94 points, Erin Larkin, Parker’s Wine Advocate
2021 ASHMEAD FAMILY RESERVE ANCESTOR VINE SHIRAZ
*CELLAR DOOR & MAILING LIST ONLY*
“A wine that celebrates the Ashmead family’s 40th harvest…”
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion“It’s full-bodied, rippling with tannin and chewy grip, still tastes fresh and lively, even though its a wine of heft with the volume turned up to eleven… It’ll be nectar to lovers of this style in the years to come.”
95 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front“Ancestor Vines on show here as the wine delivers not only raw power but also exceptional shape and purity of fruit.”
94 points, Angus Hughson, WinePilot
A heady waft of ripe red berries and a freshly mown meadow framed by eucalyptus trees sets the stage for a grand red berry entrance – plush, opulent and proud. This has rich redcurrant and blackberry speaking in a loud, clear voice, with the solid fruit platform propelled by a firm acid seam. It finishes tight, aided by a cluster of fine-grained tannins, which suggests a long, fruitful life in the cellar.
94 points, David Sly, Decanter (Vintage report Barossa 2022)
2022 BAROSSA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
This is splendidly fruited and varietally expressive, showing cassis, violet, thyme, game and assorted nut aromas on the nose. The palate delivers terrific weight and fleshy texture, wonderfully framed by finely infused tannins, finishing sturdy and robust.
94 points, Sam Kim, Wine OrbitThe brightness and juicy energy of this Barossa vintage has been beautifully captured in this pure and expressive cabernet. Blackcurrant and swirling chocolate and juicy plum to open on the nose. Then the palate delivers its vibrant fruit load with a refreshing purity and energy. It’s succulent and juicy but with structure and poise.
92 points, Ray Jordan
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.
“The conversation here is less about the carpentry and more about the fruit, which just so happens to be super fragrant and pure…”
93 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion“I really enjoyed this modern expression of Barossan Grenache blend. It showed that natural generosity of fruit seen in quality Grenache but also impressive underlying complexity that will
build over time.”
92 points, Angus Hughson, WinePilot
This Merlot has great fruit vitality with a lovely fine line of tannin to balance, adding a serious note to the finish.
Jules Ashmead & Brock Harrison, winemaker notes
For our 2024 Eden Valley Riesling, we blended the vibrant character of our Craneford vineyard with the austere depth and remarkable drive from our new Mengler Hill site. The resulting blend of the two parcels demonstrates how Mengler fruit enhances our Riesling, adding to the fragrance of our Craneford vineyard while giving the wine a more serious edge and layers of complexity. This blend promises to deliver a unique and compelling expression of Eden Valley Riesling.
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 showcases fresh lemon citrus and white peach, subtleties of rockmelon, with a soft supportive acid and enticing crème brulee texture. The well integrated toasty oak profile carries the delicate fruit across the palate to seamless finish. Jules Ashmead & Brock Harrison, winemaker notes
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.
Launched in 2018, we are excited for the third release of this wine. Made to showcase all the hallmarks of good early drinking Barossa Shiraz, the wine has a beautiful richness and is yet extraordinarily supple having been aged in barrels that formerly held our Command Shiraz. It is the curious little parcels of Shiraz from the 2022 vintage that have a chance to shine in this blend.
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 – September 2024 edition
