• Frnech oak
• Red berries
• Dark chocolate
• Silky tannins

"Aromas of crushed blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed stone and suede. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and fresh with some black tea character" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Nov2022

"Deep, bright, saturated purple colour; the aromas are of mint, cassis and blackberry; the wine again shows concentrated cabernet cassis fruit on palate, accompanied by ample ripe, supple tannins. Peppermint/eucalptus and dense dark berry fruits fill the mouth with flavour. Excellent richness and concentration for a wine of its price. Time will do the rest" Huon Hooke, Real Review, Nov 2022

"Inky colour and the fruit to match. This is a fresh-faced style but what sets it apart is the depth of fruit. Blackcurrant flavours sweep through the palate, aided by briar, bay leaves, boysenberry and violets. Oak plays a minor role at most; dark fruit flavours have both hands on the steering wheel" Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Nov 2022

Full bodied, rich, classy. Deep crimson. Chocolate, intense black forest fruits, savoury herbs. A rich and complex palate which begins with red berried fruit coupled with a dark chocolate note. A power of silken tannins carry on in step with the depth of blackberry and spicy fruit. Acid balance is key in this wine allowing for vibrancy and ensuring the long future of this wine. Drink now or cellar confidently for up to 10 years from vintage.

2021 was a vintage which really allowed the fruit to shine through. Healthy and happy vines allowed generous flavours to develop. The season was long and without rain interruption which meant we could achieve full ripeness in our Cabernet Sauvignon, both on the Barossa Valley floor and in Eden Valley. The fruit was fermented in a combination of open and closed fermenters. We used a closed fermenter for the Craneford fruit, permitting more time on skins in a less oxidative space. This allowed development of the tannin profile whilst also ensuring we held on to the leafy and red fruited aromatics. The Cabernet was then pressed from fermenter to a combination of new and seasoned French oak for malolactic fermentation and further maturation for the following year. We carefully blended the parcels from our two vineyards to achieve the best balance.

The season leading in to the 2021 harvest presented with sufficient rain and calm conditions allowing for decent flowering and fruit set heading into the ripening season. The solid base for this wine comes from our Nuriootpa vineyard which delivers a stunning cassis-driven fruit depth coupled with long savoury tannins. The slightly higher elevation of our Craneford (Eden Valley) vineyard offers another layer of vibrancy and freshness coupled with a slatey cool finish. We have 3 new plantings of specific clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from which we also took our first fruit this year. We are pretty excited about the potential of these vines in further developing our Cabernet Sauvignon to ensure the best and most honest expression of the variety. 

The Ashmead family purchased their first estate vineyard in the middle of Nuriootpa in the late 1970s and since making their first wine from the 1982 vintage, have developed a great reputation and an enviable history of success. The 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon won the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 1993, showcasing Elderton’s ability to make great Cabernet.