John Duval Entity Shiraz 2009 Barossa Valley Australia

John Duval Entity Shiraz 2009

A deep ruby core has exciting and complex aromas of black and red berry fruits, spice, tobacco and a hint of game. The aromas lead to similar flavours on the palate with spice and mint intermingled with the vibrant elegant fruit, the fine etched tannins have a savoury grip and act as structural support for the body of the wine, underpinned by fresh acidity underwrites this wines longevity. The alcohol at 14.5% seems well tucked in and enriches the wine which is not overawed by its strength. This wine has elegance and freshness, careful making has made this wine what it is - enjoy it for some time to come. You can buy this from Slurp at £24.90 or the 2008 from Divine Wine at £21.95 - do!

Score : 90

Other reviews.

96pts “Crimson-purple; the perfumed bouquet proclaims the class of the wine, it’s array of blackberry, plum and spice fruit duly delivered on the medium-bodied palate; silky tannins and quality oak complete the picture.”
James Halliday, 2012 The Wine Companion
93pts “Bright purple. Black raspberry, cherry and violet on the nose, complicated by bitter chocolate, minerals and cracked pepper. Juicy and precise, with strong spicy lift to its red berry compote flavors. Not an overly rich style of shiraz, but offers a silky texture and serious depth of flavor. Finishes long, with fine-grained tannins and lingering red fruit and pepper notes.”
Josh Raynolds , Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – New York July 2011

 

One of the world's great winemakers, John Duval of Grange left Penfolds to start out on his own with the 2003 vintage, sourcing fruit from some long-time friends in the Barossa. His red wines - a Shiraz and a Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvedre blend - are sourced from old Barossa vines aged between 50 and  100 years old and showcase the best of the Barossa region. Sourced from old vineyards in the Krondorf, Marananga, Tanunda, Light Pass and Eden Valley regions of the Barossa.

The 2009 vintage was very successful with some excellent wines made. After the extreme temperature of the second half of the 2008 vintage average, rainfall over winter and follow up rains of 100mm in November and December replenished water reserves. This was followed by a period of hot weather in late January, lasting through to early February. Conditions from then on were favourable with no extreme heat and little rain until late April. Vintage started two weeks later than 2007 and 2008 with yields generally down. Shiraz yields were particularly down, the lowest since 2003. 

 

Traditional, low intervention winemaking techniques were employed with Entity. Fermentation was with submerged cap in both traditional old open and small stainless steel fermenters. The wine underwent 100% barrel maturation for 18 months, with 39% in new fine grain French oak and the balance in two, three and four year old French oak hogsheads (300 litres).

 

The Barossa Valley has a great winemaking and grape growing heritage dating back to 1842 with a German influence who first settled here from Silesia and is home to some of the oldest vines in the world. In some families, there have been six generations of grape growers and winemakers. German culinary traditions and Lutheranism are still important aspects of the local culture; Barossa Valley even has its own German dialect, "Barossa Deutsch." Johann Gramp is said to have planted one of the first vineyards in the area, near Jacob's Creek. The Aldenhoven brothers and Joseph Gilbert are also thought to be some of the first growers in the Barossa Valley. Around the same time, Dr. Christopher Penfold moved to the valley, bringing with him some vine cuttings from France. He planted them near his new house and became a grower as well as a physician. Several other vineyards were established in those early years, including Joseph Seppelt's Seppeltsfield and Auguste Fiedler's vineyard, now part of the Château Tanunda estate.

The Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region. The climate is ideal for full bodied red wines, fortified wines and robust white wines and is said to be Mediterranean, but some of the higher areas can bedescribed as Continental. Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region.

The region produces a great variety of wine, with the main styles being Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. One important fact is that the Barossa Valley is Phyllowera free due to strict quarantine rules and working with local residents and visitors, South Australia even has an official board dedicated to these tasks, the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia, which works with growers and winemakers to prevent infestations and promote use of phylloxera- and nematode-resistant rootstocks. The first vines planted were of course Phylloxera free.

Barossa Valley Shiraz: Shiraz is recognized universally as the Barossa Valleys signature wine. The wines are lush, velvety and mouth-filling. The flavours range from black cherries to blackberries and the tannins are generally ripe and soft. Many of the wines have