John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz 2023

Tasting Note

Dark, expressive and layered, this wine opens with notes of blackberry, plum and blue fruits, lifted by subtle hints of anise, sage and clove. The palate shows excellent weight and intensity, with concentrated dark fruit supported by nuances of dark chocolate and earth. Supple tannins carry through to a long, composed finish, delivering both richness and structure in balance.

Awards & Accolades

96 Points
Halliday Wine Companion

A wonderfully pure-smelling shiraz from John Duval from grapes sourced across a number of Barossan subregions – Krondorf, Marananga, Ebenezer, Moppa and Eden Valley. There is a real plushness to the fruit here; all juicy doris plum, blueberry and boysenberry with hints of licorice, violets, roasting meats, citrus blossom and earth. The silty tannins drift way back in the fruit this year and the finish is long and graceful, with the real spotlight on that fruit purity.
- Dave Brookes

95 Points
The Real Review

Deep ruby with purple tint at the rim. Mulberry, ironstone and nori on the nose. Palate has wonderful weight and intensity, plush purple and blue fruits are layered with ironstone minerality, dark chocolate oak notes and hints of black spices. Great length, tannins supple but driving it long and filling their roll well to the finish.
- Stuart Knox

Winemaking

The parcels of fruit were fermented separately in small stainless steel fermenters some with submerged caps, and twice daily pump overs. Post ferment, the component wines were matured in oak for 15 months, with 25% in new fine grain French oak hogsheads (300L) and the balance in older French hogsheads and puncheons. We intend for the wine to be approachable in its youth, but with ample structure and fruit depth to allow cellaring, under good conditions, for at least 15 years.

The Story

John Duval’s legacy with Barossa Shiraz stretches back to his early career at Penfolds in the 1970s. It was during the 1990s that he championed the maturation of old vine Shiraz in French oak—a now-common practice that began with his work on the iconic RWT Shiraz. Entity continues that vision: a pure, elegant expression of Barossa Shiraz shaped by meticulous winemaking and old vine pedigree.