Winery: John Duval Wines
Region: Barossa Valley
Variety: Shiraz
Vintage: 2009
Your Wine Guy says:
The Entity Shiraz is inky black crimson colour with deep crimson rim. The nose displays ripe blackberry and plums, dark cherry and spicy vanillin oak notes. The palate is full bodied with some of those classic Barossa characters of richness filling the mouth with delicious flavours of plum and dark cherry, spicy Shiraz fruit and some mocha characters from the oak influence. Very good length.
95 Points YWG Drink to 2020+
Critics say:
“Crimson-purple; the perfumed bouquet proclaims the class of the wine, its array of blackberry, plum and spice fruit duly delivered on the medium-bodied palate; silky tannins and quality oak complete the picture.”
96 Points Drink to 2024 James Halliday Wine Companion
The winemaker says:
Colour: Dense ruby purple.
Nose: Expressive blackberry and blueberry fruit with subtle complexing savoury French oak.
Palate: Youthful structure with restrained power, but retains elegance. Intense dark fruits supported by fine tannins and spicy oak.
My aim with Entity is to produce a wine true to the Barossa. The 2009 vintage has been very successful with some excellent wines made. Shiraz was strong and after the extreme temperature of the second half of the 2008 vintage, it was good to receive average rainfall over winter and follow up rains of 100mm in November and December. This however was followed by a period of hot weather in late January, lasting through to early February. Conditions from then on were favourable with no extreme heat and little rain until late April. Vintage started 2 weeks later than 2007 & 2008 with yields generally down. Shiraz yields were down, the lowest since 2003. – John Duval
Winery Information:
The following information was sourced from www.johnduvalwines.com
“Welcome to John Duval Wines. After 29 years as a winemaker with Penfolds, one of Australia's most famous wineries, I started my own wine label in 2003. I have had a fortunate career, graduating in agriculture and winemaking in 1973 at Adelaide University and then following in the footsteps of some of the greats of Australian winemaking such as Max Schubert, the creator of Penfolds Grange and Don Ditter, another famous Penfolds winemaker of the 1970s and early '80s.
I was appointed Chief Winemaker at Penfolds in 1986 and was lucky enough to oversee one of the most dynamic periods of change in the Australian wine industry. With the support of my team in the Barossa I secured a number of awards for the company - Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London in 1989; Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge in London in 1991 and again in 2000; and seeing the 1990 Penfolds Grange named the Wine of the Year by the prestigious US magazine Wine Spectator in 1995.
Since leaving Penfolds I have consulted to a number of international wine companies in Europe, South America and Australia and I am a vintner partner in the Long Shadows venture in Washington State, US with our first 2003 Sequel Shiraz released in late 2005. In Chile I have helped to produce Pangea, highlighting the premium Syrah of the Apalta Valley. In Australia I consult to a project using old vine McLaren Vale Shiraz to produce Songlines Shiraz (sold in UK and Australia) and Oriel Sygnet (sold in the US).
As you can imagine I don't get enough time to spend at my home in the Barossa but I insist on securing at least four uninterrupted months around vintage to make my own wines. I love working with the fruit that comes from the old vines of the region, so I started with 'Plexus', a Rhone style blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre and in 2006 released my first Shiraz, 'Entity'. I have also released small quantities of a reserve Shiraz, Eligo, further highlighting the premium quality fruit from the Barossa.
John Duval Wines will never be another Penfolds - it is simply my chance to express my 30 odd years of premium winemaking knowledge using some of the best fruit in the world.
I hope you enjoy the wines.” - John Duval
John Duval Wines has a 5 Red Star Rating by James Halliday who writes: “John Duval is an internationally recognised winemaker, having been the custodian of Penfolds Grange for almost 30 years as part of his role as chief red winemaker at Penfolds. These days John is concentrating on establishing his own brand, and providing consultancy services to clients in various parts of the world. On the principle he is basing his business on shiraz and shiraz blends from old-vine vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The brand name Plexus denotes combining the different elements of Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvèdre into a coherent structure. Exports to the UK, the US and other major markets.” James Halliday Wine Companion
Wines available from Your Wine Guy are:
Plexus Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre
Entity Shiraz
Eligo Shiraz |