2001 Elderton Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa Valley (6/2/2005)
This was another nice wine served during Haggis' happy hour last Thursday. A good value too for the approximate $25 price tag. WS gave this a 93 rating. Firm tannins and acidity. Medium to full body. Notes of pepper, black cherry and pomegranite. 90-91 points.

VM

Do you think it'll improve? I ask only because it's the sole bottle of Aussie wine in my cellar.

Great QPR previously reviewed:
January 2004 TAA-2001 Elderton (locked archive - damn you WS)

and here (not locked)

i have had this wine 4 times now , an i seem to like it a little better then most.
i bought it at auction for $32 an give it a 94pts
just tasted the 02 and is not as good 87pts a lot thiner all around
guess i will try to buy the last 6

if you like elderton try the 2003 boytris semillon iam giving it 94pts

Here are my TN's on the 2001 and 2002.

Elderton 2001 Shiraz SA2003 sells for $24 at CD but can normally be found on special in NSW for a fair bit less. The wine was aged in 25% new oak for fourteen months and 80% of the oak was American. The nose shows good complex inky black dark fruit complexity with contrasting notes. The fruit is strong, deep and concentrated with blackberry, prune and chocolate that fill the palate with a contrasting pleasant fresh acid wave that lifts the complexity. There is no surprise that it’s a full bodied wine and offers a big bang for your buck. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value (at $20 or less) it should peak around 2006.

Elderton 2002 Shiraz SA2004 sells for $23.95 at CD. The wine was matured in 85% American oak for eleven months. Purple in colour, the hue is vivid and bright. The bouquet is youthful, fruit-driven, shows perfumed liquorice and it shines through on the palate as being pure and deep. Black cherry builds across the palate as it gains weight and finishes long with milk chocolate and mint. Slightly dusty, smooth, drying tannins combine with fresh acid and great fruit to produce a well-constructed, ample weight wine that is still tight but is showing a well-developed complexity. There is less oak than previous vintages and the wine is better for it. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value, it is drinking well now but will improve.

The 01 is bigger and has more fruit, but the 02 has better balance and is slightly more elegant and less in your face.

Torb,
What did you think of the ‘01 & ‘02 vs the ‘03?
I found the ‘03 flavors are unusually deep and intense but the intensity may not be to everyone’s style.

My notes on the ‘02 & ‘03
2002 Elderton Shiraz

2003 Elderton Shiraz

torb,
thanks on your notes, will try again on the 02 tryed about 60 wines that night at the tasting.here in mich prices are a little higher

I still have about 100 TN's to type up before I get to the 03 Elderton but here are my impressions. It is elegant for an Elderton and a "good result from a difficult vintage" - also very approachable now.

This is a wonderful wine!

Often reminds me of blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream. The nose smells like freshly baked yellow box cake, and the flavors are deliciously dessert-like. I don't necessarily want to infer that this wine is sweet, but the flavors and aromas are a mish-mash of wonderful jams, vanilla, and coconutty goodness! The acids are mouth watering, and the tannins provide excellent backbone. For $25, this wine is a steal of steals. Solid 95 pts....4/5... ***/****...or whatever kinky scoring method you use.

TORB - you say that 2003 was a difficult vintage - is that true throughout Oz, or are some regions worse off than others?

We are just starting to get the 2003 wines here now (2003 Laughing Magpie will be released next Saturday) and I'd love to hear your views (and those of anyone else, of course)

Bman,

2003 was a shocker throughout South Oz and Victoria. Its a vintage where I would not buy anything without trying it first. The wine falls into two categories, very good or very ordinary with surprisingly little in between.

For full details have a look at my latest vintage report

Thanks TORB, just the advice I was looking for

Opened my second last bottle a couple of weeks ago. Again, I was glad that I let a couple of bottles sleep for a while, as this wine is softer and more integrated than the first bottles I had a few years ago. It's full-bodied but not overpowering as it could be in its youth.

I tasted black cherry, sweet black plum, white pepper, and the smoke from BBQ steak on the grill.

Classic Barossa shiraz.

I score this 92 points.

bman,

Had this recently and concur with your assessment... It actually outshone the '98 Command.

Yes, it's better QPR I think, though the Command is usually better.

FWIW, I think most Aussie monster shiraz, like Command or Stonewell or Dead Arm, need a minimum 10 years to really shine, if not 12-15 years. We had a 95 Stonewell a couple of years ago and it was wonderful but I still wish I'd let it age longer.

Last bottle bit the dust a few weeks ago. TNs and score the same as above. This wine is still going strong and will likely do so for some time yet, though I doubt it will improve.

I had the 2000 last fall and it was amazing, one of the best Australian Shiraz I have tasted.

I've been knocking off some of my older reasonably-priced Oz shirazs (i.e. Elderton, Leasingham Bin 61) before we leave the country and find all of them very different from what they were in their youth. Those who dislike Aussie shiraz for being OTT and simple should really try them with 8+ years on them.