The 2021 John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz is a red wine from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. This wine has garnered consistently high praise from several renowned reviewers, each awarding it scores in the mid-90s. Below is a comprehensive summary of the wine, including key insights from these reviews.
James Suckling gave the 2021 Entity Shiraz a score of 94, noting that it is "a big and rich wine" with a sense of "freshness and energy underneath the juicy and rather thick fruit with plush tannins." He also mentioned the wine's "chewiness" and suggested that it "needs two or three years to soften," highlighting its aging potential (jamessuckling.com, 11/7/2022).
Vinous, also scoring it 94, described the wine as "beautifully composed and sleek," with "engaging energy and brightness of fruit." Reviewer Angus Hughson emphasized the wine's "outstanding detail," including aromas of "white paper, cloves, cocoa and woodsmoke" and a flavor profile featuring "layers of blackberry and chocolate and a gentle violet lift." The wine's "fine yet firm tannins" contribute to its "long, soaring finish," making it an "exceptional and brilliant value" (Vinous, 6/22/2023).
Decanter highlighted the wine's powerful nature, describing it as "intense" with aromas of "espresso, mocha, fruitcake and juicy black fruits." The wine is "dense and plush, opulent and generous," reflecting its robust character (Decanter, 1/1/2023).
Halliday Wine Companion awarded the highest score of 95, noting that the Shiraz is sourced from old vineyards in various Barossa sub-regions. The review praised the wine's "vibrant and pure" essence, with flavors of "deep black plum, black cherry and boysenberry fruits," complemented by "exotic spice, violets, licorice, and light cedar and vanillin oak." The wine's "impressive fruit depth, sandy tannin support and long, plush finish" were particularly commended (Halliday Wine Companion, 5/10/2023).
Wine Spectator also gave the wine a score of 94, describing it as "aromatic and complex" with a "plush, velvety quality to the blackberry, spiced plum and violet details." The review highlighted additional notes of "huckleberry, black cherry and bittersweet chocolate" and mentioned that the finish reveals "details of fresh laurel bay leaf and Earl Grey tea." Wine Spectator suggested that the wine can be enjoyed now through 2034 (Wine Spectator, 8/9/2023).
In summary, the 2021 John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz is a highly regarded wine, noted for its rich, complex profile and excellent aging potential. It offers a blend of intense, plush fruit flavors and well-integrated tannins, making it a standout choice among Barossa Valley Shiraz wines.