History

This is the first release of the Grand Tourer Shiraz - a wine named after and produced in honour of Elderton co-founder, Neil Ashmead. Neil, who along with wife Lorraine, established Elderton and was a vital link in creating the Barossa’s currently enjoyed status as one of Australia’s most important viticultural areas. Infectious enthusiasm was one of Neil’s drivers in helping to pioneer the revitalisation of the region from the doom and gloom era of the late 70s and early 1980s. Neil was a ‘Barossa Road Warrior’ like no other. Driving tirelessly from city to city with a car loaded with wine, doing tastings and dinners with whoever would listen, and generally spruiking the Barossa in a time where people were not really interested in a region that was stereotyped as a fortified producer. It was his love of fast cars that made this pursuit a little easier, thus the unusual choice for the name of this Shiraz.

Winemaking

Fermented in our waxed open fermenters with heading boards and pressed early straight to new French oak hogsheads, for 12 months on gross lees.

Viticulture

This wine is exuberant, lively and full of Character. It is sourced from old Shiraz Vines on the Elderton Estate that have been grown with a natural farming philosophy, and is handcrafted to depict artisanal winemaking at its finest.

Awards

•  Winestate Magazine, Wine & Spirit Insider, Nov/Dec 2009 - 92 POINTS
•  Gary Walsh, the Winefront - 92 POINTS
•  James Halliday, 2010 Wine Companion - 95 POINTS
•  Wine 100 Magazine, July 2009 - 92 POINTS

Reviews

•  James Halliday, 2010 Edition - Rating: 95 - Vibrant colour; dark blackberry, tar and licorice aromas unite on the bouquet; the palate is fully loaded with sweet fruit, chewy tannin yet shows lightness on its feet through fine acid on the finish; playful packaging, but a serious wine.
•  Josh Raynolds - Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar Sept/October Issue - Opaque ruby. Deep, brooding aromas of cherry pit, blackcurrant, licorice, espresso and dried violet. Spicy, palate-numbing cherry and dark berry flavors are refreshingly bitter and sharply focused, with fine-grained tannins adding grip. Juicy and subtly sweet on the finish, which strongly echoes the spice notes and clings with excellent clarity and persistence. This will repay patience. 92 POINTS
•  92 POINTS - ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE, REVIEWS BY JAY MILLER - The 2008 Neil Ashmead GTS is a Shiraz cuvee from the riper 2008 vintage. Purple-coloured, it has an alluring bouquet of damp earth, lavender, pepper, bacon and blueberry. Full bodied on the palate, it has a glossy texture, layered flavours bordering on opulent, incipient complexity, plenty of depth and richness, and a long, fruit-filled finish. It can be enjoyed now but will drink well for a decade.
•  Tyson Stelzer, Barossa Living Magazine April 2010 - This is like an original 1970 GTS Monaro - it's pure, authentic, classy and in no way souped-up. The octane level is well controlled, leaving plenty of space on the road for its blueberry, plum and exotic spice flavours. Over-extracted muscle machines, move aside - this is the real thing!