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NOTES
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. He remains involved with Penfolds as a consultant, but these days is concentrating on establishing his own brand, and providing consultancy services to other clients in various parts of the world. On the principle ‘if not broken, don’t fix’, he is basing his business on Shiraz and Shiraz blends from old-vine vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The brand name Plexus, incidentally, denotes a network in an animal body that combines elements into a coherent structure.
John’s aim with ELIGO is to produce an elegant expression of Barossa Shiraz. A wine with restrained power, rich texture and palate length. 2006 has been recognised as an excellent vintage with favourable weather conditions and vine balance. The more subtle French oak was chosen to compliment the blackberry, blueberry fruit. Traditional low intervention winemaking techniques were employed with ELIGO. Ample structure, texture and fruit intensity will allow great potential for improvement in the bottle, under good cellaring conditions, for at least 15 years.
TASTING NOTES
A dense red-purple in colour; the nose is a perfumed concentration of blackberry, blueberry fruit and fragrant French oak which leads to a rich and well structured palate. A layered complexity of dark fruit and smokey, savoury French oak. Impressive texture of mouth-coating tannins that provide the framework for the richness and intensity of fruit. A powerful but restrained Barossan.
OTHER REVIEWS
Dense but bright colour; has perfectly pitched blackberry, plum fruit and French oak on both the bouquet and medium- to full-bodied palate, with a very long finish. Cork in deference to the export market. Cork.
15% alc. Rating 95 Drink 2016, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010
Best Cellaring Wines 2007 "Underneath a slightly smoky, toasty exterior lies an explosion of cherry, raspberry and black cherry fruit that's wonderfully pure without being simple. The texture is creamy and lush without being unstructured or jammy, while the finish goes on and on."
96pts #12 of 50, Joe Czerwinski Wine Enthusiast, November 1, 2007.
A fabulous Barossa shiraz from the master. Duval's regular Shiraz is a beauty, but this has more structure and ageing potential. Shy at this stage, undeveloped and loaded with promise."
95 Points Huon Hooke Good Living, Sydney Morning Herald, July 22, 2008
Vivid blackberry, cassis, violet and mineral scents offer superb definition and expand with air, picking up exotic incense and Asian spice qualities. Sharply focused red and dark berry fruit flavours stain the palate, with fine-grained tannins providing gentle support. The floral element gains strength on the finish, which features sweet raspberry and zesty minerals. A shiraz with outstanding balance and energy."
94 Points Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, July, 2008
After four years building his own brand, former Grange maker John Duval shows his profound understanding of the deepest and best of the Barossa with this flagship. Made in a style Max Schubert would love, the wine seems like a blacksmithed essence of the whole valley, compressed with the AP John cooperage into one impenetrable lozenge. But at the same time, it displays an elegance and restraint rarely seen in these days of plump, jammy Liberace extravaganzas. Open one now, just to peek, and put the rest away for at least a decade. Steak."
94++ Points Phillip White Independent Weekly, June 4, 2008
Fruit that's been given first class treatment with sumptuous, chocolate-coated purple fruit with a savoury streak running through. Fine poise. A wine of some distinction and one of Barossa's leading lights."
5 Stars Decanter Magazine May 31, 2008
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