Elderton Wines

Elderton Wines is an Australian winery based in Nuriootpa, in the Barossa Valley. It is best known for its old-vine Command Shiraz and Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon. Neil and Lorraine Ashmead purchased the historic estate vineyard (originally planted in 1894) in 1979 and produced their first vintage under the Elderton label in 1982. The winery is currently run by the second generation, Cameron and Allister Ashmead, together with their wives Jules and Rebecca. Elderton wines are made from grape varieties including red grapes Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot as well as white grapes Riesling and Chardonnay.

History

In the late 1970s Neil and Lorraine Ashmead returned from the Middle East, settling on the Barossa Valley as the place to raise their sons. In 1979 the Ashmead's purchased the derelict estate and vineyard, which was originally planted in 1894 by the Scholz family. In 1916, the property was purchased by Samuel Elderton Tolley, a member of a prominent winemaking family, who renamed the estate 'Elderton' Tolley sold the vineyard's fruit to his family's winery, Tolley, Scott & Tolley, ensuring the estate's productive operation for several decades and establishing its early reputation in the Barossa Valley wine industry. The family restored the derelict vineyard and the first vintage of wine was produced in 1982.

In 1993, Elderton won the Jimmy Watson Trophy. Elderton also won the World’s Best Shiraz Trophy at the 2000 London International Wine & Spirits Competition.

In 2003, sons Cameron and Allister took over day-to-day operations. In 2024, Ashmead Family Vintners was established as the overarching entity for the family’s wine interests. They run the business with a focus on sustainability.

In 2017, the cellar door was moved into the historic 1918 homestead after extensive renovation.

Wines Elderton produces approx. 30,000–45,000 cases of wine per year depending on vintage conditions. The majority of the production is red wine. The wines are made to show varietal character, regional definition and to show the unique personalities of the Elderton team . Command Shiraz is Elderton's flagship wine, produced from a single vineyard of Shiraz vines that were planted around 1894. Elderton's flagship Command Shiraz was first produced in 1984 from the 1894-planted block along the North Para River. In 1998, the winery introduced its second flagship, the Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon, made from old-vine estate Cabernet plantings.

Vineyards

Nuriootpa (original estate, planted 1894 by Scholz family) Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Source of Command Shiraz and Ashmead Cabernet.

Greenock (planted 1915, purchased post-2010) Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan, Mataro, Cinsault.

Craneford (Eden Valley, planted 1990, purchased 2007) Shiraz, Cabernet, Riesling, Chardonnay.

Mengler Hill (planted ~early 1900s, purchased 2023) Highest altitude site, multiple varieties including Shiraz, Grenache, Tempranillo.

Sustainability Elderton is a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Initiatives include large-scale solar power (since 2010, expanded multiple times), 100% winery water recycling, cover crops, native revegetation, biological pest control, and mulching.

Elderton Wines

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