"Thanks to loyal Jug Shop customer Steven Oliver, who visited Elderton on his honeymoon, I had a chance to try Elderton’s first and only sparkling shiraz made in celebration of the winery’s 21st vintage. Australia’s top sparkling reds are generally sourced from the best fruit the winery grows—grapes that would normally go into icon or reserve level wines. Such is the case with this special red fizz from Elderton, with the base wine being comprised of their icon "Command" Shiraz from vintages 1994, 1995, and 1998, three of the best in the Barossa.

The wine spent two years on lees before bottling and was dosaged with some old vintage port from the Rutherglen district. When I tried it, it easily ranked as one of the top sparkling burgundies I’ve tasted, bringing to mind memorable bubblies like Rockford’s "Black Shiraz" or Barossa Valley Estate’s "E & E Black Pepper" Sparkling Shiraz that are not exported to America. With the hard work of Elderton owners Alistair and Cameron Ashmead and their importer John Larchet, The Jug Shop has arranged to be the exclusive retailer for this rare red fizz. Only 60 bottles are available and they are due in late December, hopefully in time for the Christmas dinner and the New Year’s celebrations."  Chuck Hayward's Down Under Digest, Issue 24, December 2005.