Elderton Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

The Estate’s flagship Cabernet comes from a small parcel which was planted back in 1944 in the Nuriootpa sub-region in the Barossa Valley. This is the 24th release of this wine, the 1993 release of which won the Jimmy Watson Trophy. Maturation is in new French oak hogsheads for a year and a half. A very dark maroon colour with a blood red rim, the nose offers aromas of blackcurrants, chocolate, dried herbs, soy, cloves, cigar boxes, aniseed and smoked meats. There is medium to good length here, but serious persistence. Excellent oak integration throughout, the wine is well balanced with a fine line of acidity adding the freshness. Intensity is maintained throughout and the wine finishes with gentle powdery tannins. A fifteen-year proposition. Would it be fair to suggest that recent vintages have seen the winemakers nudge this iconic Barossa Cabernet towards a slightly more refined and elegant style?