Elderton swoops to buy high-altitude vineyard

Family-owned Elderton Wines has signalled a major step forward with the acquisition one of the most sought-after vineyards in the Barossa. 

The Ashmead family has added the Wilton Hill Vineyard in the Eden Valley to its set of estate vineyard holdings.

The second-generation owners of Elderton, Cameron and Allister Ashmead, have purchased the Wilton Hill from the Mattschoss family, describing it as a "once in a generation opportunity".

The vineyard is one of the highest-altitude vineyards in the Barossa, sitting on top of Menglers Hill.

It comprises 60 hectares of land and 23.75 hectares of vines and has a track record of producing elite single vineyard wines.

Planted over 100 years ago, the vineyard joins Elderton's other vineyard sites in Nuriootpa and Greenock, which also boast centenarian vineyard blocks. 

The Hilton Hill vineyard is planted with old vine shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and riesling, as well as grenache. 

At an altitude of 500 metres, the vineyard has "shallow, skeletal, grey sandy loam with quartz gravel over weathered rock and yellow clay-based soils".

“We are fortunate to bring this amazing vineyard into our treasured estate holdings," said the Ashmead brothers (above) in a statement. 

"Along with the talents of our experienced and passionate vineyard, winemaking and cellar door teams, we believe that this vineyard addition will cement our position as a real contributor to the Barossa’s future success story through growing and making some of Australia’s most delicious and sought-after wines.”

The vineyard has previously supplied grapes to labels including wo Hands, Head Wines and Thistledown

Bottom image: Dragan Radocaj 

Barossa family wine business has two reasons to celebrate

As Barossa winery Elderton celebrates 40 vintages, it also has another milestone worth marking. 

Family owned and operated Elderton is now a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. 

"We now measure all of the aspects of land and soil, water, biodiversity, energy and waste and measure it against our peers with the aim of further improving our sustainable practices," says co-owner Cameron Ashmead. 

"It is very exciting what is happening here at Elderton, especially in relation to our partnership with Carbon Neutral and our work offsetting all of our emissions.

"My brother, Allister, and I together run our second generation family owned winery in Australia's famous Barossa Valley and we strive for excellence from distinguished vineyard sites in the region." 

Elderton was founded by the late Neil Ashmead and his wife Lorraine, who had been working in Saudi Arabia but wanted to raise their family in Australia.

The family homestead, in the heart of the township of Nuriootpa, was surrounded by extremely old shiraz and cabernet sauvignon vines. 

At a time where demand for Australian table wine was negligible, the vineyard had become derelict. 

After years of no interest, in 1980 the real estate agent eventually offered the Ashmeads the 72-acre vineyard as a bonus, as part of the sale of the homestead. 

In 1982, after restoration works in the vineyard, Elderton Wines was born.

The second generation, Cameron and Allister and their families, took the reins of the business in 2003. 

For more info see https://eldertonwines.com.au/