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John Duval Wines with Tim Duval
Tim Duval impressed people with his matter of fact modesty and understatement. His wines were impressive in much the same way.
September 19, 2018
Nearly everyone who came to last week's tasting went home with at least a bottle if not a case of wine, testimony to the their quality and value.
Many of the tasters were discovering or re-discovering fine Australian rediscovery of Australian wine. The reputation of that country's vibrant wine industry had been both made and unmade by critics like Robert Parker. In the 90s they had extolled the heavy rich, very extracted and heavy hot climate red wines. This gave Australian wines that image in this country.
John Duval and his son Tim are devotees of a more modern style.. Last week's wines were balanced, modulated, and nuanced. They had moderate alcohols, in keeping with today's palate and food pairings.
The white was a blend of Rhone grapes and very popular. It sold out at the tasting. We will be getting a small quantity of the very good 2016 in about a month.
The 2014 Plexus Red, a Rhône blend of Grenache more vendor and Syrah was also very popular, but the star of the more moderately priced wines was the Entity Shiraz from the very fine 2015 vintage. The the top-end 2014 Eligo Shiraz had extraordinary depth and flavor. There are just a few bottles left in the store and in the state.
The 2016 Annexus Grenache had very deep flavor, like a smooth southern Rhone with none of the candied quality that is too often seen in Australian wines of that grape.
Earlier in the day I had tasted a 2016 Annexus Mataro (Mourvedre) in the same series. I thought it extraordinary, but it is only available in limited quantity. We will have it in a month. I strongly recommend it.
White
2016 John Duval Plexus Marsanne Roussane Vignier; Aroma: Rather broad, , restrained, then mineral, plump; Mouth: Bright clean rather firm, creamy souithern spice, sweet tight fresh long on the palate; Very Good Plus;32; Mixed Case, 28.8; Case, 27.2 limited, arrives in a month
Red
2014 John Duval Plexus; Aroma: plump dense, full, rich, smoky, heady smoky, rich; Mouth: clean smooth full, earthy, clean, firm, spicy rounded; Very Good - Excellent 37; Mixed Case, 33.3; Case, 31.45
2015 John Duval Entity Shiraz; Aroma: Thick leather & plum; Mouth: Clean smooth heady rich but not heavy, lightly delineated plummy finish; Very Good - Excellent 37; Mixed Case, 33.3; Case, 31.45
2016 John Duval Annexus Grenache; Color: Veered dark, ; Aroma: Dense heady & firm, heady very dense very full pretty clean; Mouth: Bright acid clean racy, firm, rather fine, deep acid/plum, sticks to the palate; Very Good - Excellent 65; Mixed Case, 58.5; Case, 55.25
2016 John Duval Annexus Mataro; Aroma: Heady low toned, dense, lightly herbal, sweet very dense, very dense full, rich, anise & wood; Mouth: Sweet very clean rathr fine acidity, rathr dense, , fine acid, clean light spice, very long young; Excellent 65; Mixed Case, 58.5; Case, 55.25 limited, arrives in a month
2014 John Duval Eligo Shiraz; Aroma: light elegant clean, very pretty, thick restrained richness; lightly elegant, very pretty; Mouth: smooth, getting older, tight acid restrained, rather firm, very clean, fine pretty, balanced & poised; Excellent 99; Mixed Case, 90; bottles only
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Please pass this on to any friends who are wine enthusiasts!
- Len Rothenberg
