With immense pride, we share the release of our 2025 single‑vineyard Grenache wines, Wellington and Winifred, two wines that are deeply personal to our family and shaped by very special vineyard sites.
These wines are named in honour of our grandparents, whose influence and spirit continue to guide Elderton today.
Wellington is named after our maternal grandfather, who played an important role in helping Lorraine and Neil Ashmead establish Elderton in its early years. Larger than life, with a sharp eye for opportunity and a deep love for Barossa wines, he would no doubt have taken great joy in seeing this vineyard come into its own. The wine is drawn from old bush vines planted in 1969 on our Greenock vineyard, rooted in sandy soils over clay and ironstone. It reflects its Barossa Valley home with generosity and warmth, bright red fruits, gentle spice and a supple, flowing palate.
Winifred is named after our paternal grandmother, “Nan” to us who would travel from Gippsland to babysit, tend the rose bushes at Nuriootpa, and happily enjoy a glass of wine in the afternoon. One of her favourite sayings was, “Red wine is a party!” Winifred Grenache is grown high on Mengler Hill in Eden Valley, from bush vines planted in lean, rocky soils at altitude. The cooler conditions and elevation bring purity, lift and fine detail, resulting in a Grenache of elegance, freshness and quiet confidence.
While the vineyards are very different, the intention behind both wines is the same. Each comes from a small, naturally low‑yielding block, farmed with care and made in very limited quantities. These are thoughtful, site‑driven wines, expressions of place, season and family, rather than wines made for scale.
The 2025 vintage was one of the earliest and driest we’ve experienced, with everything ripening at once - a rare and challenging moment for our winemaking team. While yields were low, the quality was exceptional, delivering wines of remarkable vibrancy, expressive aromatics and finely integrated tannins. Those qualities shine clearly in both Wellington and Winifred.
Last year’s inaugural Grenache releases were warmly embraced by our members and sold out quickly, with many missing the opportunity to secure bottles. With similarly limited quantities again this year, we expect demand to outweigh supply.
For this reason, these wines are offered via member allocation, ensuring fairness and giving as many people as possible the chance to enjoy them. This same allocation approach will also apply to future low‑volume vintages of Command Shiraz and Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon, as seasonal conditions increasingly shape what is available.
From our family to yours, the 2025 Wellington and Winifred Grenaches are a celebration of legacy, landscape and the people behind the names. We hope these wines find a place at your table, shared with the people you enjoy most, either now or in the years ahead.
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