Elderton Command Shiraz

Awards

96 points - Halliday Wine Companion 2021

This does command respect thanks to the fruit coming off 123yo vines and the care with it from that moment right through to the winemaking. It is powerful and divine. Lush with the dark fruit coated with chocolate, pepper and coffee. The palate feels all velvety with the tannins neatly placed, the oak integrated and with a glass in hand, a sense that all’s well with the world.

96 points - Ray Jordan on winepilot.com

2017 was a challenging season for the region with several rain events, but this wine has nailed it with a slightly less overt and more restrained style than previous vintages, although still within the established style of Command. It gets 30 months in a mix of French and American oak, a combination that remains important to the style. Importantly it is still 100 % new oak. The wine has been crafted into such a seamless and smoothly textured wine, benefitting no doubt from the vines which are now 127 years old. The chalky tannin feel contributes greatly to the appealing texture and mouthfeel. Rich dark chocolate and lush primary fruits with a spicy vanillin overlay. Dense and concentrated yet with a degree of subtlety and finesse with a palate that sits more in the medium weight zone than the more traditional big boy full body.

94 points - Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review 2021

Command is always a muscle-bound drop, but somehow it's also friendly and welcoming —a bit like meeting an old friend. It ticks the Barossa boxes for very ripe blackberrry, fruitcake, vanilla and choc-coconut aromas of complexity and interest. The palate is sumptuous, mouth-filling and flavoursome, assertive yes, but well-mannered. Big tannins and a long finish complete it in style.