97 points - "Deep and intense ruby and purple colours in the glass. Plum, blueberry, vanilla oil and dark chocolate aromas. Rich and weighty on the palate with a subtle ironstone minerality adding character to the rich dark fruit core. Intense and incredibly long with gravelly tannins bringing the whole palate into focus as it rolls to the finish. Cellar time will be very well rewarded." - Stuart Knox (The Real Review)

96 points - "A vineyard selection across the finest plot from which winemaker John Duval sources grapes. Rich, concentrated and graceful, it's a wine that is harmonious and shows great presence as it travels across the palate. Satsuma plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits of great depth and purity. Studded with hints of baking spice, sage, licorice, dark chocolate, panforte, jasmine, olive tapenade, cedar and earth. There's a meaty, beef-stock edge to the palate, tending savoury on the finish, with powdered graphite tannins and a fine acid pulse. Super stuff." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "Deep crimson. Lovely praline, blackberry aromas with hints of marzipan/vanilla/roasted hazelnut aromas. Luxuriant pure black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, espresso flavours, fine integrated slinky textures and lovely mid-palate volume/buoyancy. Bittersweet finish lengthens the palate. Suave and classic. Drink now–2036 14.5% alc." - Andrew Caillard (The Vintage Journal Barossa Wine Guide)

96 points - "The 2020 Eligo Shiraz 'is a vineyard selection of our best vineyards,' says winemaker Tim Duval, with 53% Barossa Valley and 47% Eden Valley. On the nose, the oak is more pronounced; there's 50% new French oak. The season was a challenging year, the third in a row of drought, extremely low yielding and threw many challenges for producers, although it was as hot as the previous 2019 vintage. I tend to quite like the resultant 2020 wines, despite the challenges faced out in the vineyards over the year. Here, the wine is coiled and compressed, with a splay of black tannin and char that laces through the fruit. The wine is long and undulating through the finish and promise." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

Background
The process of creating Eligo begins in the vineyard, where we identify the most exceptional parcels of fruit, aiming for a structured yet elegant expression of Barossa Shiraz. Barossa Valley components provide depth and structure to the palate, layered with rich, concentrated fruit flavour, while Eden Valley fruit brings vibrancy and aromatic lift.

After vinification, a further selection process determines which wines are put to barrel. Following maturation, a final classification is made to produce what we confidently proclaim to be the finest Shiraz of the vintage from John Duval Wines.

Vintage
Dry conditions for the second consecutive year presented some challenges, with yields again significantly reduced. However, cooler-than-average temperatures in February and March allowed for a long, even ripening period. The resulting wines are of outstanding quality, showcasing great purity and fruit depth.

Vineyards
Fruit was sourced from old vineyards across both the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley:

Barossa Valley (53%): Krondorf (Stoll), Ebenezer (Hoffmann)

Eden Valley (47%): Moculta (Fechner), Mt McKenzie (Knight/Severin)

Winemaking
Each parcel was fermented separately in small stainless-steel fermenters, some employing submerged cap techniques. Due to the low yields, careful tannin management was critical—resulting in shorter skin contact, typically around seven days.

Post-classification, the component wines were matured in French oak hogsheads for 18 months:

51% new fine-grain French oak

49% seasoned French oak

Winemaker’s Notes
Nose: Intense waves of plum and blackberry with accents of anise and dark chocolate.

Palate: Richly textured with plush yet powerful layers of dark fruit. Deep and pure, the palate is complex and commanding, revealing hints of baking spice and licorice. Finishes with finely integrated, grippy tannins. While seductive in its youth, the 2020 Eligo will reward at least five years of cellaring and has the potential to age gracefully for over fifteen years.