Sunday, November 27, 2011

Gold for 2006 Command Shiraz


The 2006 Command Shiraz had been awarded a Gold medal at the recently held 2011 National Wine Show of Australia in Canberra.

This is another fantastic accolade for the 2006 Command, following it's achievements of Best in Class at the 2010 London International Wine & Spirit Competition, inclusion in the Top 100 New Releases list by Gourmet Traveller WINE in 2010, named as a finalist in the George Mackey Trophy and a number of great reviews of 94 points from the likes of Halliday and Parker.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Gourmet Traveller WINE reviews

From the Gourmet Traveller WINE Oct/Nove 2011 edition:


2010 Eden Valley Shiraz
Best Buys
Forward development, frowned upon in wine shows,isn't necessarily a negative with inexpensive young reds. As this one indicates, they can be more interesting at this tender age than the shrill fruit-juicy kinds of infantile reds we see so much of in Australia. The colour is bright, the aromas are of dry spices and walnut, with some maturity - but without harsh, raw fruit or obvious oak. It's soft and easy to enjoy. The flavours maintain interest, and the finish is enlivened by clean acidity. Drink it over the next five years.

Best Buys - Huon Hooke - Gourmet Traveller WINE Oct /Nov 2011



2007 Command Shiraz
Top 100 New Release Wines
95 points and 5 stars

Quite forward in development and full of raisin and mocha, dark chocolate, coffee and oak-derived characters. Roasted fruit, charred barrels, prune and licorice in the mouth, sumptuous and multi-layered. More than just a wine: a hedonistic romp.

100 Top New Release Wines - Huon Hooke - Gourmet Traveller WINE Oct/Nov 2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2007 Command Shiraz


95 points

Pow, right out of the glass! Classic Aussie blockbuster shiraz aromas: slight mint/herbal, fleshy, juicy black plums and blackberries squeezed in your palm with the juice running down your forearm. Oh my.
Natalie Maclean, Sept 2011


5 stars

Listed on Australia’s prestigious Langton’s Classification in the ‘Excellent’ category, this delivers vintage after vintage and ages well. Aromas of smoke and berry fruit rip from this full-bodied, beautifully balanced red. It’s a hedonist’s delight with waves of rich and luscious flavours—sweet, ripe mulberry, juicy Bing cherry and nuances of earth and slate—washing endlessly over the palate and dry, lengthy aftertaste. There’s also oak and a solid tannin structure needing time to knit in.
Vic Harradine, www.winecurrent.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Elderton's 30 Vintages Celebrated in Print

An article by Ray Jordan in The West Australian on 11.9.11 has told the story of the Ashmead family's bold move into the wine industry and the journey the family and Elderton Wines has had in the 30 vintages since. The 2008 Ode to Lorraine was named as Pick of the Week:


2008 Ode to Lorraine
93 points
An appealing soft generous wine of silky-smooth structure and supple, rich flavours. It's a lovely vibrant wine with a little savoury leathery character to it, overlayed with a decent dusty eathiness. The majority blend of cabernet and shiraz carries the wine but the softness of the merlot adds an important dimension. Excellent wine.





2009 Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz
93 points
Lifted floral, spicy notes on the nose. It's a highly perfumed wine made from a 70-year-old biodynamic single vineyard on Cameron Ashmead's property. It's 100 per cent shiraz. Gets 11 months in all French oak and is left on lees in barrel. Has a soft, generous mouth-feel with fine tannins and fine-grained oak. It's a sleeker, sexier wine.

2008 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon
91 points
This is sourced from the Elderton property. It was picked just as the heat was beginning, so it wasn't impacted by the extreme heatwave of that year. This is a stylish, angular and quite linear cabernet. Has fine red berry potes over some light cedary oak. Well balanced and poised with the structure to evolve in the cellar. This is predominately American oak.


2010 Eden Valley Shiraz



91 points

Love this juicy vibrant shiraz from Eden Valley. Bursting with spicy and slightly pepper cherry and plum fruit. The oak is perfectly complementary and the finish pure and velevty smooth. A super elegant wine for drinking over the next few years.

Reviewed by Ray Jordan in The West Australian 'Fresh' 18/8/11

Halliday writes of Elderton's 30 Vintages

James Halliday has written a great article of the story of Elderton Wines and the Ashmead family in an article in The Weekend Australian Magazine (3.9.11), as Elderton celebrates 30 Vintages in 2011. To read the full article click here. We also received some great reviews:

2008 Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon
96 points
The quality of this wine shone through in the mini-vertical tastings of the top labels. The ’01 was good, the ’02 and ’06 very good, the ’04 outstanding, the ’08 an eyelash behind the ’04. It has superb drive and intensity to the back palate, with a lingering finish and aftertaste, the tannins positively silky. It has developed exceptionally well since first tasted in January 2010.



2008 Ode to Lorraine
95 points
A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 37% shiraz and 8% merlot, with open fermentation concluded in barrel. The colour is deep but clear, the bouquet and palate offering blackberry, blackcurrant and plum aromas and flavours. There is ample structure from the cabernet component, giving line, length and balance to a quality wine. The toasty oak is evident, but does not challenge the fruit. Mercifully, the shocking pink colour of prior vintage labels has (almost) disappeared.



2010 Eden Valley Shiraz
92 points
From the Craneford Vineyard purchased by Elderton in 2007. It has vivid colour, and a fragrant plum-and-blackberry bouquet. The medium-bodied palate has great purity coupled with excellent texture and overall mouthfeel, and a long, supple finish. The wine was pressed straight to older American oak puncheons, amplifying the texture but leaving no distracting vanilla oak footprints.

Friday, September 2, 2011

#cabernetday enjoyed across the world

1 September is Cabernet Day and was celebrated across the world. Those who enjoyed a Cabernet or two also shared their experiences via Twitter #cabernetday.

Here at the Elderton Cellar Door we had our range of current release Cabernet Sauvignon single varietals and blends available for tasting.

Some happy participants also shared their Elderton Cabernet experiences via Twitter:
Grand designs for delicious dinner tossed out the window. Elderton's 2008 is sustenance enough.
Been meaning to crack this for a while now, perhaps tonight in honour of 1992 Elderton Cabernet: *as a side note, this wine is infact the Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner from 1993!
We now look forward to next year's Cabernet Day and what it may hold in store for us!

Cheers!


Monday, August 22, 2011

Elderton Wines in James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion 2012



Elderton has this year been awarded five red stars by James Halliday, signifying Elderton is an, "Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity." Other qualifications include two wines rated 94 points or above and having received 5-star ratings in the previous two years. This puts us among only 5.1% of wineries rated by Halliday in the Wine Companion - a pretty select group!

Two wines in our Eden Valley range received ratings of 'Special Value for Money':

2010 Eden Valley Shiraz, 92 points and Special Value for Money
RRP $19

“Vivid purple hue; a luscious, youthful and exuberant wine, showing pure blackberry, licorice and juicy fruit across the palate; not inhibited by heavy-handed winemaking, with fruit purity the aim of the game.”


2010 Eden Valley Chardonnay, 91 points and Special Value for Money
RRP $19

“Pale colour, bright; the bouquet is restrained showing pear, nectarine, citrus and a light touch of toasty oak; the palate is racy and lean in style, with a lingering grilled nut and toast conclusion.”

For full details on the ratings our wines received visit our website www.eldertonwines.com.au



Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Elderton and Gourmet Traveller WINE dinner - August 16, 2011

A limited number of tickets are still available to attend dinner celebrating 30 Vintages of Elderton Wines. Hosted by Gourmet Traveller WINE Editor Judy Sarris and wine writer Nick Ryan, enjoy a three-course meal matched with a past and present vintage of wine from Elderton Wines.

    When: Tuesday 16 August, 2011 6.30pm for a 7pm start
      Where: Bistrode CBD, Cnr York and King Streets, Sydney NSW
        Cost : $120 per person
          To book: call Bistrode on (02) 9240 3000


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Top Awards Received

Elderton Wines has received two top awards in Australian Wine Vintages 2012 (The Gold Book), written by Rob Geddes.

The Command Shiraz was judged as a Gold Star wine showing consistently high standards of fruit, flavour complexity and freshness.

The 2010 Eden Valley Riesling was judged one of the Top 100 Wines in over 3500 tasted for the 29th edition of Australian Wine Vintages.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

wine named in 100 Best Australian Wines 2011


Elderton's 2008 Ode to Lorraine has been named in Matthew Jukes' 100 Best Australian Wines 2011 list released this week. Jukes' comments on the wine:
I would like to think that it is the dribble of Merlot in this Cab/Shiraz that gives it its peculiar appeal. Look past the label (and its endearing ugliness) and focus your powers of deduction on the magical fruit assemblage within. Some palates may find this wine too velvety and mouth-coating, however, I am a disciple. Elderton’s portfolio has never looked better and at the top of the tree 2006 and 2007 Command Shiraz are both my wishes, too.



Monday, May 9, 2011

Thanks to Mum

Mothers are celebrated across the globe on Mother's Day, and the World Wine Guys pointed out some of the great mothers in the world of wine, including Elderton's own Lorraine Ashmead. The World Wine Guys write of the few wine labels that are wonderful tributes to ladies of wine. The Ode to Lorraine Cabernet Shiraz Merlot is a perfect example, a wine dedicated to Lorraine by her sons in recognition of her work at Elderton, as as a mother. Read more

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Elderton Estate Shiraz features in Jukes' pick of Aussie Shiraz

Matthew Jukes has written on his pick of the 'new, multi-faceted Aussie Shiraz' in the May 2011 edition of Decanter and our Estate Shiraz is featured, rating 4 stars and 17.5.
There's no doubt Elderton has finessed its wines of late, but the vineyards are the same, so the seamless , mid-weight spice and meaty notes remain as true as ever. The fruit is lush and tender and the tannins seem more genial and flexible.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Elderton excited for Vintage Festival 2011

Everyone loves this time of year when the Vintage Festival is nearing and the Scarecrows start appearing...

Our E-team are practising their skills ready for Elderton Strikes Back II, our Vintage Festival event being held on April 27 at Barossa Bowl. It boasts an evening of shattering pine, fine wine and some marvellous swine with fun and hilarity also sure to be prominent features. Do you think the scarecrows are in with a chance for the trophy for best team score? For further information on the event, contact elderton@eldertonwines.com.au or 08 8568 7878.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Vintage Update 25.3.11



The colours of vintage are truly coming to life this week!






Cellarhand Orin digging out open fermenter



Cellarhand Erik digging out open fermenter




Wednesday, March 23, 2011

2007 Command Rates Well


The recently released 2007 Command Shiraz has already received fantastic ratings of 95 points from James Halliday and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 94 points from Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. Yesterday a rating of 97 points was given in the newsletter released by Nicks Wine Merchants:

Opaque black dark red colour with deep dark red hue - a little more advanced than previous vintages. The nose displays excellent intensity with top notes of mocha and liquorice followed by some ripe blackberry, confectionary and vanilla. Full bodied, super rich and opulent the palate displays lavish flavours of dark plum, liquorice allsorts and mocha followed by some dark chocolate and vanilla overtones. Silky smooth tannin structure. Superb depth with long persistent aftertaste of mocha, liquorice, vanilla and spice. Available in limited supply. Hedonistic drinking now but will also cellar a further 5-6 years (2011-2017) - 97 points - Nicks Wine Merchants

The 2008 Estate Shiraz also received a great review, rated 94 points:

Lifted aromas of blackberry, mocha, liquorice allsorts, toasty vanillin oak and confectionary. Full bodied and filled with ripe opulent blackberry, dark chocolate, liquorice allsorts and spice flavours. Soft velvet smooth tannins with a generous fleshy mouthfeel. Good persistence with long aftertaste of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, liquorice and spice. Elderton are one of the top exponents of voluptuous Barossa Shiraz with the 2008 again delivering excellent value. Drink over the next 4-5 years (2011-2016) - 94 points - Nicks Wine Merchants

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Vintage 2011 Underway




Elderton's winery is now abuzz with vintage moving into full swing. The first crush occured on March 7 - Chardonnay. The first red ferment is now underway, with Shiraz in the open fermenters and giving us the amazing colours and smells of vintage!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Dine with Allister at Melbourne restaurants for launch of 2007 Command Shiraz


Join Allister Ashmead for dinner, as two great restaurants in Melbourne will be hosting dinners for the release of the 2007 Command Shiraz in March.

Tuesday, 15 March — Sosta (Errol St, North Melbourne)

Wednesday, 16 March — Grossi Florentino (Bourke St, Melbourne)

For further details contact Elderton Wines elderton@eldertonwines.com.au

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