News
2017 Command Shiraz now available
March 1, 2021
1 March is a special day here at Elderton – it is the global release date of the new vintage of Command Shiraz each year. And today we are excited to release the 2017 Command Shiraz to the world!
Way back in 1894 the Scholz family planted a Shiraz vineyard on the banks of the North Para River in Nuriootpa to allow the family a modest farming income. At the time, little did they know that this vineyard would be highly celebrated 100+ years on, for being one of the most remarkable vineyards in Australia and the world. The second generation of Ashmeads and Elderton Co-Managing Directors, Allister and Cameron, as the current custodians of a rare piece of Barossa Valley viticultural heritage, continue their parents aspirations and expectations to produce a great wine of the world. The Command is truly an expression of place, and one of which the family intends to preserve for generations to come.
Command is the sum of several small batch picks to ensure we capture every part of the vineyard at optimum flavour concentration. We hand harvested this fruit over three weeks, allowing for the ripening process across the different soil compositions. The 2017 vintage saw us finish later than average, on 12 April. The long and gentle ripening season, peppered with some showers after a winter flush with rain, ensured for intense fruit concentration in the finished wine, with a depth of seamless tannin yet elegance only achieved in great years.
Aroma Lifted ripe plums with hints of Christmas cake spice, and subtle gamey notes
Palate Rich and attractive spicy ripe berries reminiscent of summer pudding, supported by silky tannins that together provide a focused structure, and a powerful yet elegant finish
Celebrating 25 Vintages Of Command Shiraz!
On March heralded the public release of the 2010 Command Shiraz. This great wine also happens to be the 25th release of Command Shiraz. It is being very well received by visitors to Cellar Door, and by wine writers around the country...
This wine is destined to go down as an Australian classic and one of the greatest vintages of Command to date. The Ashmead family believes the 2010 Command is up there with the pinnacle vintages of 1992, 1996 and 2002 and will have the ability to drink young or be cellared into the long term (20 years +).
The wine itself is a powerhouse, yet in the words of James Halliday is still ‘...a very elegant and refined shiraz that fully lives up to its reputation.’ The wine received the outstanding 95 point rating from Halliday, and we believe the accolades will continue to roll in as the wine hits the tables of wine scribes, restaurateurs and general drinkers in the coming months.
We definitely recommend tucking away some of the 2010 Command in your personal cellar, not only because of the wine’s quality, but also it will be a two year wait until the release of the next Command (the 2011 vintage will not being released due to the massive amounts of rain that we received that harvest).