Collection: ELDERTON

The founding Ashmead family continues to impress. Julie Ashmead (the 5th-generation winemaker at Campbells in Rutherglen) is head of production, overseeing viticulture and winemaking. Elderton has 4 vineyards across the Barossa and Eden valleys. The latter is home to the Craneford Vineyard (planted to shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, riesling and chardonnay) and the Mengler Hill Vineyard (purchased in ’22 from the Mattschoss family and planted to old-vine shiraz, cabernet, riesling and grenache). Elderton’s original estate vineyard in the Barossa Valley, Nuriootpa, is planted to shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot dating back to 1894. The Greenock site, planted by the Helbig family in 1915 and purchased in ’10, consists of shiraz, grenache, carignan, mourvèdre, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and semillon.
-JAMES HALLIDAY

The vineyard was first planted on the banks of the North Para River in Nuriootpa in 1894 by early German settlers, the Scholz family. In 1916, it was purchased by Samuel Elderton Tolley who named the Estate ‘Elderton’. He built himself a sprawling homestead on the Estate and sold the fruit to his family’s winery. It was run successfully for many years, but became derelict in the early years of the vine pull (circa 1975).

“If you buy the house, I will give you the surrounding 72 acres of old vines for nothing”. This was the proposal offered to Lorraine and Neil Ashmead in 1980. The rambling old homestead looked ideal for a growing family and the Ashmead’s worked tirelessly to salvage and restore a phenomenal treasure of a vineyard.

In 1982 the first wine was made under the Elderton Label. Tough times prevailed, but ultimately the vision of the founders shone through and Elderton is today celebrated as a major reason for the rejuvenation of the Barossa Valley. In 1993 Elderton shot to national prominence after winning the Jimmy Watson Trophy.