History

The Ashmead family purchased the existing Elderton Estate vineyard in 1979, and first released wines under the Elderton label in 1982. We are very proud of our estate vineyard, which has plantings going back to 1904, as well as our history of success in the Barossa. Our intention is to always make wines that show varietal definition, regional character and of course a slice of our personality as well, which we feel we have achieved with this wine. This wine is grown away from the Elderton Estate, in the renowned Greenock sub-region of the Barossa.

Winemaking

2008 was a challenging vintage in the Barossa. Drought conditions and heat waves minimised harvest levels, however those who managed canopy and vine balance were rewarded with small quantities of ripe, powerful fruit. The Zinfandel was harvested late in the morning after the fog lifted and the dew had dried. Matured in a blend of French oak puncheons for about 10 months, this wine offers the classic Zinfandel aromatic nose, with integrated fruit flavours of balance, length and importantly for this variety, delicacy.

Viticulture

There are two vineyards of interest for Elderton wines Zinfandel. One is on a hard rocky outcrop on the edge of the Sturt highway near Greenock, where yields average 1.2- 1.5 tonnes per acre. The difficult conditions, along with judicious crop management, have produced excellent varietal characters. The second vineyard is in Eden Valley where the cool nights of the allow for more elegant characters and fine tannins to add complexity to the final blend.

Awards

Reviews