2024 Elderton Estate Shiraz, Barossa Valley

100% estate-grown shiraz from Menglers Hill, Greenock, Craneford and Nuriootpa, matured for 20 months in seasoned French and American oak. Deep crimson in the glass with a swell of satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits cut with hints of baking spices, licorice, citrus blossom, dark chocolate and mocha oak. As always, there's terrific value here with pure regional flavours, fine, silty tannins and some impressive sustain on the back end.

93 points Dave Brookes Halliday Wine Companion

There is something deeply Barossa about Elderton, a sense of place that feels both generous and grounded, and it all starts with the Ashmead family who rescued the Nuriootpa estate in the early 1980s. What they inherited was not just a vineyard, but a piece of Barossa history, including old vine plantings that dig deep into the red brown soils and warm valley floor. Today, with Cameron Ashmead steering the ship, the focus remains on expressive, site driven Shiraz that captures the richness of the region without losing its sense of detail.

Dark plum and blackberry roll through the glass, wrapped in that classic Barossa mix of dark chocolate, baking spice and a hint of earth. There is plenty of depth here, but it is not just power for the sake of it. The fruit feels ripe and confident, supported by fine tannins and a gentle oak influence that brings structure rather than dominance. A savoury edge emerges with time, giving the wine a more layered and thoughtful feel, the kind that keeps you coming back for another look.

This sits comfortably in that sweet spot where immediate pleasure meets a bit of cellaring potential. Give it five to ten years and those richer fruit tones will soften into something more complex and savoury, but it is already drinking beautifully now with the right food.

Think slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic, charred eggplant with tahini and pomegranate, or even a rich beef and black pepper stir fry. This is a wine for long lunches that stretch into the evening, where the table fills up and the conversation flows just as easily.