This cabernet sauvignon comes from estate-grown vines in Nuriootpa, planted in 1944. It was matured for 24 months in new puncheons made of French and American oak. The wine displays a tightly wound aromatic profile featuring blackberry, cassis, and blackcurrant flavors wrapped in spice, briar, espresso, floral hints, earthy tones, and dried herbs. The palate offers pure fruit expression with a graceful texture, integrated chocolaty oak, fine tannins, and a lingering finish enriched with elegant cassis notes.

The Ashmead family's legacy continues to shine through Elderton, where Julie Ashmead, the fifth-generation winemaker at Campbells in Rutherglen, leads production, overseeing viticulture and winemaking. Elderton boasts four vineyards across the Barossa and Eden Valleys. The Craneford Vineyard in the latter is planted with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Chardonnay, while the Mengler Hill Vineyard, acquired in 2022 from the Mattschoss family, features old-vine Shiraz, Cabernet, Riesling, and Grenache. The original estate vineyard, Nuriootpa, dating back to 1894, is planted with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Additionally, the Greenock site, purchased in 2010 and planted by the Helbig family in 1915, includes Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Semillon.

Halliday Rating: 95 points