John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz 2022

Tasting Note

Attractive waves of satsuma plum and blackberry open the wine, with hints of anise, clove and dried herbs adding savoury detail. The palate is richly textured and deeply structured, with tightly packed layers of blue and dark fruits alongside ironstone and liquorice. Fine, long tannins and balanced acidity carry through to a powerful, composed finish.

Awards & Accolades

95 Points
The Real Review

Opaque purple colour, dense and saturated. The nose has spicy/woodsy and dried-herb notes, notable oak, and blackberry/fruitcake touches. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, densely textured and powerfully structured, a very concentrated and super-ripe shiraz which will need time to tame. It's certainly very impressive. One for a dark corner of the cellar.
-  Huon Hooke

95+ Points
Halliday Wine Companion 

The Eligo represents the best of the '22 for the team at John Duval Wines; a split of shiraz from Barossa Valley (79%) and Eden Valley (21%), aged for 18 months in French oak hogsheads, 44% new. It's a rich, deeply fruited wine yet one that has a seam of freshness to its travel. Tones of satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits with hints of baking spices, blackforest cake, sage, licorice, dark chocolate, cedar, olive tapenade, roast and hanging meats and earth. Full bodied with a thick base of black fruits, a cascade of fine-grained tannin and a bright black cherry-skin acidity on the exit.
- Dave Brookes

Viticulture & Winemaking 

The process of creating Eligo begins in the vineyard, where we identify the most exceptional parcels of fruit. Aiming for a structured but elegant expression of Barossa Shiraz. The Barossa Valley components deliver depth and structure to the palate with an overlay of rich concentrated fruit flavour, the Eden Valley components bring vibrant aromatics. Post maturation, a final classification is made to produce what we can confidently proclaim to be the finest Shiraz of the vintage from John Duval Wines.

Sourced from old vineyards in the Ebenezer and Moppa sub regions of the Barossa Valley and the Moculta sub region of the Eden Valley. Comprising 79% Barossa Valley and 21% Eden Valley Shiraz.

The 2022 vintage was set up beautifully with good soil moisture carrying over from the mild 2021 vintage. A significant October hail event reduced yields in some vineyards, but luckily most escaped without impacting quality. La Nina influenced weather patterns resulted in mild harvest conditions again, allowing for even flavour accumulation and vibrant aromatics and acidity. A standout season.

The parcels of fruit were fermented separately in small stainless-steel fermenters, some with submerged caps. Some batches were left on skins for up to two weeks to extract additional colour and structure. Post classification, the component wines were matured in oak for 18 months - 44% new fine grain French oak and the balance older hogsheads and puncheons.