Make a wish for a great Shiraz...

September 09, 2025

The 1894 planted Command vineyard is just so remarkable and special. Year after year after year, these vines excel in producing the most incredible single vineyard Shiraz which is widely heralded as one of Australia’s greatest single vineyard wines.

The Ashmead family have called Elderton home since 1980 and have cherished being the custodians of the Command vineyard for the past 45 years - originally rescuing it as an abandoned, unloved and almost derelict site. Today, the vines are lovingly nurtured by hand and represent the most remarkable vineyard site that we own - which is high praise considering the other Elderton vineyard assets.

The winter season was very kind leading up to harvest 2022, with the best winter rains since 1996. The season had some ups and downs, but luckily Elderton was largely spared from some of the most ferocious hail in living memory, which hit in late October and devastated a huge amount of Barossa vineyards.

Our winemaking team think of this vintage as being delightfully elegant and beautifully structured, with depth and length of flavour. In fact, it is the Elderton team’s belief that vintage 2021 followed by 2022 is the best one-two punch in terms of great consecutive vintages that we have likely ever seen.

This is a Command that is not to be missed.

Don’t take our word for it though, as the early press from esteemed Australian wine writers has been glowing:

“I’ve been looking forward to this wine, ever since I tasted the previous vintage – both are superb Barossa years... A cracker. Twenty to twenty-five years of pleasure ahead. In the pantheon of great Barossa Shiraz, this is sensational value.”
97 points, Ken Gargett, WinePilot

“Supple and evolved... lovely mid-palate richness... Very classical.”
97 points, Andrew Caillard MW

“The 2022 Shiraz Command is exceptional...The powerful fruit still remains in its shell and is encased with structural, balanced tannins that will reward time in the cellar.”
95 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous

“The balance here is impeccable. Indeed so too is the freshness, and the character.”
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

When to enjoy this wine?

With recent changes to both viticulture and winemaking, it is the Ashmead family’s belief that the results of a meticulous and unwavering commitment to best practice in the vineyard and winery, allows us to make one of the best Shiraz in not only the Barossa, but from anywhere on the planet.

This wine is now more pure, bright and utterly delicious - and as faithful readers of The Buzz would know, you can cellar these wines with great confidence into the long term. However we also believe that this vintage can be enjoyed with delicious results right from release.