2018 Elderton Command Shiraz Half Bottle 375ml, Barossa Valley

Please note — this is a half bottle size 375mL

Take Ancestor Vines (planted in 1894), a great vintage, experienced winemaking, add 30 months of aging in American and French oak, and the result is the stunning 2018 Command Single Vineyard Shiraz. Boasting fabulous density and concentration, this full-bodied effort is still almost embryonic in its development, with tarry, mocha, yet lifted notes accenting intense blackberry fruit; a rich, supple yet structured mouthfeel, and a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink 2023 to 2045.

96 points Joe Czerwinski for The Wine Advocate, September 2021

A great release of Command, this carries the bold and deeply flavorful style of the vintage effortlessly, a vintage that played into the natural style of this rich Barossa Valley shiraz. There’s so much to love about this wine, from the rich blackberry, red-plum and spice aromas and flavors to the silky, fine and long tannins. Floats long on the smooth finish. Drink over the next decade and more. 

96 points James Suckling, August 2021

From 124yo estate vines in Nuriootpa. Matured 30 months in new American and French oak puncheons. Brooding Barossa shiraz of billowing character. Smoked mettwurst and pan juices. Spicy dark and red berries of all kinds. No small dollop of milk chocolate oak. Quintessential Barossa, replete with generous breadth and enduring length, sustained by fine-ground tannins of considerable endurance. Drink to 2033.

95 points Tyson Stelzer for Halliday Wine Companion, August 2021

A wine that has done much to contribute to the Elderton reputation as a significant Barossa producer. The fruit comes from a single block planted in 1894. It is made in a traditional way with 30 months in a mix of French and American oak a major part of the style. This has to be one of the best yet and there have been some good’uns. It’s silky smooth and effortlessly long and poised, yet within there is a mass of explosive Barossa fruit power. One of the silkiest and refined of any of these; cracking good wine. Drink to 2042.

95 points Ray Jordan

Elderton Wines was established in 1982 by Neil and Lorraine Ashmead on a historic Nuriootpa estate with vineyard origins dating to 1894. The second generation has now taken the lead, with brothers Cameron and Allister and their wives Jules and Rebecca looking after all aspects of the winery. The family vineyards span the Barossa Valley floor and the cooler, higher elevations of the Eden Valley, giving the range a breadth of style that few Barossa producers can match.

The Command has been made from a single block of Shiraz on the Nuriootpa estate every year since 1984, the vines planted in 1894 and classified as an Ancestor Vineyard under the Barossa Old Vine Charter. The 2018 vintage delivered ideal conditions. Sufficient winter rainfall was followed by a dry, even ripening season that allowed every picking decision to be made on fruit profile alone.

The 2018 is entering a beautiful drinking window. Rich and vibrant on the nose: blackberry, red plum and spice, with lifted fruit, mocha and a fine thread of oak complexity. The palate is powerful yet effortlessly poised, with silky, fine-grained tannins, concentrated fruit and a long, smooth finish that lingers well after the glass is empty. Explosive in the best possible sense, and still with years ahead of it.

Half bottles are a rare format for a wine of this stature. Great for two at a special occasion alongside a dry-aged rib eye or a board of aged hard cheese.

Please note — this is a half bottle size (375mL)