Now in our 44th year of making wine under the Elderton label, we are very excited to be introducing two brand new, limited release, single vineyard Grenache wines. 
 
Named after our grandparents, these Grenaches are from two very different vineyards. We proudly introduce Wellington and Winifred to you. 

2024 WINIFRED GRENACHE

High altitude | Bush vine single vineyard | 773 bottles produced

This wine is named after our paternal Grandmother, who would drive from her home in Gippsland, Victoria, to come and babysit us as often as possible, and to prune the 300 odd rose bushes on our original Nuriootpa estate. Nan, as we called her, was always up for a glass of wine in the afternoon. Whilst happy to drink anything, one of her favourite sayings was, “Red wine is a party!”

From our vineyard atop Mengler Hill in the Eden Valley, one of the highest Grenache vineyards in Australia at 550m above sea level. The leaner, rockier soils are scattered with pink quartz and ironstone. With three clones planted in bush vine formation, these vines have very little access to water and so are extremely low yielding, however with fruit density and a finely detailed yet assertive tannin profile with intensity in abundance.

Winemaking | Destemmed/crushed into a 1350L old French foudre, which can be rotated, for fermentation. We wanted to avoid whole bunch this year, given it was our first year working with the vineyard, to allow us to have a really good look at the fruit, acid and tannin profile of this site. 8 days on skins before pressing to old French oak hogsheads for malolactic fermentation. Full ferment, racked before bottling. 

SHOP WINIFRED

2024 WELLINGTON GRENACHE

Old vine | Single vineyard | 1332 bottles produced

This wine is named after our maternal Grandfather, who helped Lorraine and Neil to start Elderton Wines. Gramps, as we called him, was a larger than life personality that always had an eye for a great opportunity. He loved fine wines, especially big reds of the Barossa.
 
From our Greenock vineyard on the Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley, established by the Helbig family in 1915. This beautiful contoured block of Grenache was planted in 1969. Sandy loam over red clay with patches of ironstone throughout, the vines here are quite lean in terms of vigour and seem happy that we ask very little of them as we prune to low bud numbers.

Winemaking | 26% whole bunch. Fermented in a concrete tulip, with no temperature fluctuations, allowing for a very even extraction of tannin and brightness of fruit. Four day cold soak, followed by wild fermentation. 12 days on skins before pressing off into a combination of old French oak puncheons and large format (1350L) old French oak foudre for malolactic fermentation. Full ferment lees, racked before bottling. 

Wellington is similar to the 2020 Ashmead Family Reserve, if you had the pleasure of trying that wine, and is a richer style Grenache. 

SHOP WELLINGTON

Both Winifred and Wellington are now available online and in Cellar Door.

 Cheers, Cameron and Allister