2023 Elderton Command Single Vineyard Shiraz

Gorgeously rich, seductive and plush yet refined and stylish.

Since the inaugural 1984 vintage Elderton Command Shiraz has established a formidable international reputation. Planted in 1894 the Command vineyard is located on the southern edge of the Nuriootpa township and planted on deep alluvial silt over red and brown earth and limestone. The majority of the rows are orientated east-west (as opposed to the more common orientation of north-south). This enables cooling breezes from the Barossa Ranges to flow through the rows of vines rather than against them. Maturation takes place in a combination of new French and American oak puncheons for 24 months, the wine is then given a further 12 months bottle age before being released.
Dense pitch black dark red colour with a dark red hue. Wafting from the glass are decadent scents of dark plum, liquorice, vanillin oak and mocha trailed by some scorched earth, fennel and pepper notes. Gorgeously rich, seductive and plush, the opulent palate is engulfed with dark plum, liquorice, vanillin oak and fennel flavours. Scorched earth, spice, mocha and pepper elements trail off into the distance. Velvet smooth yet structured tannin framework with a slightly more finessed feel to the long, sumptuous finish. A more refined, stylish expression of Command.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 14.9%

Other Reviews….
The 2023 Command Single Vineyard Shiraz is from a cool, wet vintage, as the note below will attest, not dissimilar to the 2017 vintage. Here, the fruit is sweet and nuanced, with licorice, cocoa and pomegranate. Having tasted these wines today going back to 1985, it is abundantly clear that these wines look so good with some bottle age. While their youth is attractive, nothing beats the complexity gained in time. It's over to you to decide when you choose to drink your wine, but I personally would like to see this wine with around seven years from harvest. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2026-2053.
96 Points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

One of the most iconic Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, the first vintage was 1984. The release of this wine is always eagerly awaited. From a Nuriootpa Vineyard, the vines are now 132 years of age. Maturation was in a mix of new French and American oak puncheons for twenty-three months. Opaque maroon with a dark crimson rim, it offers a most evocative nose. Seriously impressive oak integration, we have aromas of chocolate, blackberries, mocha, cocoa powder, bay leaves, vanilla, coffee beans, charcuterie, cloves and a flick of gum leaf. Exhibiting a supple and seductive texture through to satiny tannins, this is beautifully balanced with great length. A wonderful Barossa Shiraz for enjoying over the next twenty to twenty-five years. At the moment, I have it scored at the same level as the stunning 2022 vintage of this wine, however, if pushed I would probably go for the older wine by a whisker. Whether that remains so over time, we look forward to finding out. Drink 2026-2051.
97 Points
Ken Gargett – WinePilot.com

Classic Barossan shiraz but with a contemporary feel to its form. Pure and ripe satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits, layered with baking spices, cedar, tamari, dark chocolate, roast meats, licorice, tobacco, fruitcake and warm earth. Full bodied with unctuous black forest berry and plum fruits dredged in spice, but finely structured with a brightness and fresh line of travel, the fine, silty tannins and a sprightly line of acidity pushing the wine forward. Drink by 2046.
95+ Points
Dave Brookes - James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion