2012 John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz Barossa Valley 750 ml

2012 John Duval “Eligo” Shiraz — Wine Advocate #4 Aussie of 2015

John Duval had pretty much done it all. The wine by which all Shiraz are measured is the Penfolds Grange Hermitage. Over the course of sixteen years, Duval’s hands were all over Grange, garnering a bevy of rave reviews from Robert Parker and a Wine Spectator "Wine of the Year" award in 1995.

But in 2003, Duval shocked the wine world when he decided to relinquish his role at Penfolds, opting instead to hang out his own shingle. Armed with his unique winemaking touch and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the vineyards of Barossa, Duval determined to craft a Shiraz that might actually outpoint Grange.

Over the last several years, we’ve been criticized for featuring so few Australian wines on WineAccess. Despite the criticism, we’ve largely stuck to our guns. We find the vast majority of Aussie Shiraz overripe and Port-like. Many seem to be both overly extracted and acidulated. John Duval is the exception to the rule. His “Entity” Shiraz, and “Plexus” (a Down Under take on Chateauneuf-du-Pape) are plenty rich, but also beautifully honed, marrying New World concentration with Northern Rhone cut.

But even as we’ve followed, collected and offered these stunning, handcrafted reds since the release of the 2007 vintage, never before would we have said that Duval had turned out a Shiraz under his own label that took a run at Grange…until today.

The 2012 John Duval “Eligo” Shiraz was drawn from vineyards in Barossa and Eden Valley. Harvested somewhat earlier than the neighbors so as to preserve natural acidity, Duval conducted classic submerged cap vinification, leaving the juice on the skins for up to two weeks, before transferring the wine into French barrels and puncheons, 75% of which were brand new. After 20 months of oak-aging, the 2012 “Eligo” was bottled and aged for an additional six months before being shipped stateside.

Dense purple-red in hue. Lush, lavish yet perfectly precise aromatically, infused with gorgeous aromas of black currant, blackberry, violets and dark chocolate. Rich and voluptuous on entry, velour-like in texture, filled with blackberry and blueberry preserves and a splash of creme-de-cassis, finishing with surprising acidity and vibrancy for a Shiraz of such opulence. (14.5% alcohol (tame by Aussie standards). pH of 3.44).

97+ points from Parker’s Wine Advocate. James Halladay sung the same tune. 120 bottles have been earmarked for WineAccess at $80/bottle.