The 2005 Eligo is a vineyard selection; crafted from the finest blocks in the old-vine vineyards John contracts, it is a blend of fruit from both the Barossa and, cooler-profiled, Eden Valley. As per John's style, traditional, low-intervention winemaking is the focus. Submerged-cap fermentation takes place in small, stainless steel fermenters, with a small portion undergoing extended maceration for up to two weeks to maximize color and flavor extraction and aid tannin modification. The wine is then aged in 100% French oak hogsheads, 2/3 new, for a period of 20 months.

During his 28 years winemaking with Penfolds, John Duval spent 17 at the helm as Chief Winemaker, custodian of Australia's most famous wine, Grange. It was during this tenure that John's passion for, and intimate knowledge of, the Barossa Valley and its old-vine fruit evolved. Forming relationships with many of the region's pioneering families, John was able to hand-select the region's best fruit for Penfolds Grange, establishing it as the most iconic Australian red wine of its time.

Now, almost a half a century after establishing his roots in the Barossa, these long-standing relationships with the region's fourth and fifth generation grape-growing families allow John to source such fruit for his own label, John Duval Wines. These wines convey his unique vision of the Barossa's potential, and doing so have gained international recognition for their finesse and polish. 5 years later, John Duval now unveils the wine that represents the pinnacle of his winemaking skill and unparalleled knowledge of Barossa's terroir: Eligo.