Command Single Vineyard Shiraz

Popped and poured, enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1998 “Command” pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. Definitely some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and mostly dried black and red fruits: brambles, blueberries, blackberries, dates, grilled meat, leather, purple flowers, marjoram, earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (mostly integrated) and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the addition of an umami/Maillard reaction sort of thing giving a rich, savory finish. Drink now as it’s in slow decline.

Others say it all in much more detail below—big stewed purple fruit, smoke, tar, pepper, tannins resolved, balanced, better acid than I was expecting, not totally my thing but impressive

Dense deep Ruby in colour. Aromas of coffee, mocha and heavy oak - coconut, vanilla - American oak notes, but they sometimes use French oak Barriques as well. Sweet on the full bodied palate with rich ripe blackberry , raisened plum and black pepper. Way too much oak for my nose and palate these days - like sawn planks It masks the excellent old vine fruit. Latter vintages seem to have toned the oak down. Had a 2014 a couple of months ago.

An excellent wine brought to the Cairns BYO Indian Restaurant. No formal notes. A typically delicious rich Barossa Shiraz made from old vine fruit showing ripe plum, chocolate, licorice and supple persistent tannins. A long future ahead.

Limited notes. Charred spicy oak, meat juice and blackberry notes. A surprisingly medium weight palate - I was expecting full throttle Barossa. Mellow tannins. The Command is Elderton’s premium Cuvée. Drinking well from the good 2012 vintage. At the Downs Club committee dinner.

Lovely perfume - like a berry/lavender/ground coffee beans combination. Ripe plums coming through on the full bodied palate. Obviously the product of very Old vines in the the Barossa. A delicious wine. As mentioned ripe plums but no prune. Good picking decisions from the Ashmead brothers. Elderton Command starting to become one of my favourite Barossa Prestige Cuvées. Hard to fault.

The nose reveals; candied style blackberries, plum, boysenberries, stewed black plum, dark liqueur style cherries, black raspberries, blueberries, black licorice, sweet tarriness, crushed dry limestone, cinnamon stick, vanilla, dark chocolate, mocha with caramel, pepper, used leather, light notes of grilled meats, bright, dark red, purple flowers with violets.

The body is the leaner side of full. The tannins are nicely resolved but, still have tarry baby teeth. The structure, tension, balance and length have hit a sweet spot and still have at least 6-8 years of good drinking ahead. The palate fruits are ruby candied. Blackberries, olallieberries, plum, boysenberries, stewed black plum, dark liqueur style cherries, black raspberries, blueberries, black licorice, sweet tarriness, crushed dry limestone, dry top soils, wet clay, cinnamon stick, vanilla, dark chocolate, mocha with heavier caramel than the nose, dark spice with just a little palate heat, pepper, touch of mint with fresh herbs, used leather, notes of smokey, grilled meats, bright, dark red, purple flowers with violets. The acidity is near perfect. The long finish is; elegant, ruby, rich, well balanced and deliciously persistent. Just missed 94

Photos of; our spring 2017 visit to Elderton. Their tasting bar, entry, road signage and the vineyard around the tasting room. They drove us to their much larger facility still in the construction phase which, I would think is now open.

@BobMcDonald Always rock solid!

1993 vintage. Amazing indeed. Hermitage-like. Perfectly mature with complex spices, balance and very good length.

At the Downs Club Magnum Christmas Dinner. In this case me holding a 6 Litre Methuselah or Imperial as it is also known of Eldertons Best Cuvée - the Command Shiraz. A very generous gift from Cameron Ashmead of the Ashmead Family , the owners of Elderton for the support and business from the Club. Barossa Valley royalty was mentioned in a previous note and it applies here in spades. Rich dark chocolate and earthy berry aromas. A flat out delicious palate with soft resolved tannins and oak influence judiciously used. Will live for years particularly in an Imperial. A treat to taste this - thanks again Cameron.

For me this is getting to another level. After 2 hours in decanter, deep tobacco and earthy red fruited nose lead to a palate loaded with emerging secondary stuff. Opulent and peppery, brambly red fruit and fine, drying tannins. Waves of black tea and smoky wood. These need cellar time but pay big rewards.