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70% Eden Valley, 30% Barossa Valley (the first time Eligo has been Eden-dominant). Eligo is a vineyard selection, separating out the best sections/rows from within their best Shiraz vineyards. Sourced from several sites across the region. Fechner (Moculta, Eden Valley), Hutton Vale Farm (Eden Valley), Severin (Mt Mackenzie, Eden Valley) and Hoffmann (Ebenezer, Barossa Valley). Oldest vines are 100 years old (Hoffmann), Eden Valley plantings average 35 years old. Some vineyards follow organic practices. All ungrafted. Eden Valley soils: lean, skeletal sandy loams with high granite influence. Barossa Valley, red-brown earth and sandy loam over clay. Yields at 1.5–2 t/acre. Vineyard elevation ranges from 280 m to 400 m. Each parcel was hand-picked, crushed and destemmed and fermented separately in small stainless-steel open-top fermenters, some parcels with submerged caps. Twice daily pumpovers, skin contact 8–14 days. 18 months in barrel: 55% new fine-grain French oak hogsheads (300 litres), balance in older seasoned hogsheads. 3 years in bottle prior to release. Unfiltered. Deep crimson. Sweetly spiced black fruit, oaky sweetness with ripe blackberry, tangy elderberry and chocolate notes. Thickly textured, super-smooth tannins. Generous, ripe, fresh enough for balance. Needs time to evolve from power to more nuance. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This Barossan Shiraz Eligo shows an excellent depth of color from the exceptional 2018 vintage. With a bit of bottle age, it has settled in for the long haul with brooding dark cherry, dark licorice and baked earth aromas. Mixed ground spices sitting in the background are supported by coffee grounds oak. Highly expressive with a freight train of dense flavors - tar and earthy tones are topped by subtle dried sage and spice. Pliable tannins with a fresh acid backbone provide a solid structure with a lengthy finish, the icing on the cake.
The 2018 vintage was excellent in the Barossa (and many other places in Australia, too). The wines are ripe but fresh and have a really firm framework of tannins that give them poise and shape. This 2018 Eligo Shiraz is perfectly representative of the vintage conditions, and when compared to the 2017 before it and the 2019 after it, the 2018 shows luminescence and succulence. The tannins are lithe and whiny—this is brilliant. Bravo. It'll only get better.