John Duval is one of the world’s best known winemakers. Toward the end of 2002, John retired from Southcorp after a distinguished career of 28 years, including 16 years as Chief Winemaker for Penfolds. John embarked on the development of his own label in 2003 using old vine Barossa Valley fruit and has created stunning wines that reflect the terroir of the Barossa and the hand crafted attention of John Duval.

The first release of this wine, a worthy companion to the Grenache. The fruit comes from vineyards in the famed Barossa sub-regions of Marananga and Ebenezer. It spent 8 days on skins with twice daily pump overs, before spending a year in seasoned French hogsheads to mature. I’ve loved all three of the Concilio Grenache releases but to be honest, this tops the lot. A magical Barossa Shiraz with elegance and focus, generous now but with time ahead. And amazing value. What is not to like? Bright purple in colour, we have dry herbs, chocolate, spices, mocha, coffee grinds, a supple texture and a nice line of acidity running the length. Fresh, concentrated and saturated in flavours. This will drink beautifully for a decade. Date: Sept 2022; Rating: 95 Points; Ken Gargett; The Wine Pilot