Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The nose is all blackberry and dark plums with background cola, earth and baking spices. The palate has density with the right hand of balance to guide it in.
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Wine & Spirits
As chief winemaker at Penfolds for 16 years, John Duval was powerfully networked at the center of the Barossa wine community. He established his own label in 2003, focused on Barossa, where he sources fruit from parcels in Krondorf, Eden Valley, Light Pass and Ebenezer to make Entity. His 2015 is a silky shiraz emphasizing tannins with the cool feel of freshly turned earth. It melds floral notes with scents of black olive, black pepper and a bright berry rasp of fruit that speaks of old-vine concentration. Finely integrated, this is built to last.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Entity opens with crushed black currant and black cherry notes over layers of licorice, chocolate box, Sichuan pepper and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers beautifully soft, silky tannins and just enough freshness to lift the intense pepper and black fruit flavors, finishing long with an herbal lift coming through.
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Wine Spectator
A whiff of fresh mint adds to the black cherry, blackberry and blueberry core. Effusive and concentrated, with notes of chocolate, espresso and sarsaparilla lingering on the finish.
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Decanter
A supple mouth-feel shows exotic spices, herbs, succulent berry fruits and savoury cherries, leading to a seamless mid-palate with rare roast lamb and sage notes. The fresh, green herbs hint at whole-bunch fermentation, and carry the wine well.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The Barossa Zone encompasses the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. Some of the oldest vines in Australia can be found here.
Barossa Valley of course is the most important and famous wine growing region in all of Australia where 140+ year-old, dry-farmed Shiraz vines still produce inky, purple and dense juice for some of Australia's best wines.
In the cooler, wetter Eden Valley sub-region, the Hill of Grace vineyard is home to famous Shiraz vines from the 1800s but the region produces also some of Australia’s very best and age-worthy Rieslings.