Sunday, November 25, 2018

John Duval Plexus GSM 2014 in Denver

As I can now (knock wood) seem to drink a glass of wine with no ill effects much of the time, I'm going to start trying to write again about good bottles I've had. Recently had 2010 Clos Mogador, which was very good but not as spectacular as expected, a bit one dimensional and flat for a Mogador; Beaune 1er Cru Jadot 50th anniversary, ditto, at birthday dinner with Linda at Elaine's, tannin is gone which is generally good but didn't have the expected richness and depth; and John Duval Plexus GSM 2014 which rated 92+ by Parker so chose for the Thanksgiving dinner shared with Emily at The Nickel, Hotel Teatro's restaurant in downtown  Denver. Coincidentally, John Duval, formerly chief winemaker of Penfold's, stays regularly at that hotel because he makes frequent trips to Denver for some reason.

I found the wine delightfully fruity and complex, smooth tannins, evolving and revolving around cores of mulberry, lavender, spicy vanilla. A good example of why I love Aussie reds when they're well-made like this one. Very easy to drink but not, I'd say, a mere "fruit bomb." Hope to visit Duval and other boutique winery tasting room/restaurant in Barossa in March.

Here's what Vinous says about this wine (93 points, quite strong for Vinous): (aged for 14 months in 90 percent used and 10 percent new large French oak barrels) Vivid ruby-red. Expansive aromas of ripe red berries, candied flowers and spicecake, complemented by a subtle mineral nuance. Juicy, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering sweet raspberry, boysenberry and lavender flavors that become tighter and more lively with air. Shows excellent depth as well as vivacity; fine-grained, firming tannins build slowly on a long, floral-driven finish. In the context of high-end Aussie red wines, this one delivers exceptional value.