TN: John Duval Wines Plexus 2003

[Wizz]

My second chop at this.

Glowing purple red.

Blackberry jam, earth, some ripe raspberry on those nose, joined by some oak spice, clove.cardamom, and some oak which is nuts/caramel/butterscotch, quite a bit of nailpolish lift in the nose too.

Shortly fter opening the bottle, this has a base plummy note coming through first, and then lifted raspberry and then earth, as if the shiraz, grenache, and mouvedre as being presented in order. fourth in line is that spicy, caramel oak, almost as if it is simply a fourth varietal. Warm and cuddly, fine, firm tannins, not syrupy. It shows all of its 14.5% alcohol, but apart from that, everything is nicely balanced.

An hour later, the oak is getting more noticeable, and shows as more charry too.

I've seen a numbe of different notes on this wine, and everyone seems to pick up different levels of oak. I wonder if the level of breathign si the reason. I have the other half of the bottle but away to try tomorrow night.

And to be honest, I'm feeling far foggier after 3 glasses than I should be. Is this really 14.5%? (there is an older note, n4sir's i tihnk, suggesting 15.75% is the real number).

Initially I was thinking 90+/100, but now the oak presence has me worried as does the alcohol effect. Nice drink within the first 30 mins, but now I'm concerned.

No idea how to rate this just yet. back again tomorrow night with a verdict.

cheers

Andrew

[707]

The Duval didn't really rock me in the GSM line up, I voted for the 2003 Noons Eclipse and the 2002 Kilikanoon Medley.

Here's Ian's note from the Blacktongues GSM tasting, full notes on page two of the forum, last post 25th April.

2003 John Duval Wines Plexus $36 (if you can find it): Impressive inky purple/red colour with a glowing purple hue. An extracted nose featuring stewed blackberry, some chocolate, and heavily toasted oak hint what a beast this is. The palate opens with stewed, blackberry fruit, a very hot spike of alcohol heat on the mid-palate (after the tasting I heard 15.75% ), and finishes with equally heavy doses of apricot, vanilla oak, and mealy/wheaty tannins. The colour, fruit extraction and tannin structure hint that (hopefully) this is a mere baby that just may come together in the distant future, but for now itÂ’s simply too oaky, extracted and alcoholic for my liking.

My ranking: 10th place
Panel ranking: =3rd place

[Red Bigot]

Wizz, how did your bottle turn out the next day? (Can you rememeber that far back? )

I tried this last night and brought just under half a bottle home to finish tonight.

Last night it was immediately in your face with cherry, dark berry, spice, oak, voluptuous fruit but finishing far too sweet and lacking structure. Not a Buy.

Tonight it's opened up and developed a decent backbone, less in-your-face, balanced and although it still has lots of nice spicy fruit sweetness, the tannins and acid linger on the finish rather than the previous over-bearing sweetness. Probably worth buying a few if I can find some left at around the $31 I paid for this bottle.

[Wizz]

Geez, I'm thirty something and I cant remember that far back

Here is an impression from the second day:

Jury still out - the wine had started to oxidise a bit which made it a bit difficult. I didnt find the oak as heavy as some notes have suggested, it was well enough balanced to give it a chance of soaking up the oak in a few years.

Still just under 90/100 at this stage for me, potential to add a point or two if it cellars the right way.

Hope this helps,

AB

[jester]

Was most unimpressed with this wine about a two weeks ago when had a bottle over dinner. The bottle did not appear to be faulty but I find it hard to believe JD would put his name on it from this example. Lots of oak and some choc / burnt plum flavours but nothing at all that made me think quality fruit as I had expected. Realise it is a decent possibility that this was a somewhat dud bottle but I am not going to spend the money again to see if thats the case.

[Red Bigot]

Geez, I'm thirty something and I cant remember that far back

Here is an impression from the second day:

Jury still out - the wine had started to oxidise a bit which made it a bit difficult. I didnt find the oak as heavy as some notes have suggested, it was well enough balanced to give it a chance of soaking up the oak in a few years.

Still just under 90/100 at this stage for me, potential to add a point or two if it cellars the right way.

Hope this helps,

AB

Thanks AB, it's still fairly cold down here, so littl/no oxidation in my bottle, seems a pretty similar conclusion though, I think it will cellar for 5 years or so.

Only 30-something? I still vividly remember some wines I was drinking back in the 70's, about the time your mum and dad were ...

The 60's are a bit fuzzy though.

[michel]

but I find it hard to believe JD would put his name on it from this example. Lots of oak and some choc / burnt plum flavours but nothing at all that made me think quality fruit as I had expected.
.

I dont get this wine and reckon there a Southern Rhones at half the price of this wine that kill if for quality- no Aussie wine of any varietal is gonna survive this oak romp .

[Guest]

but I find it hard to believe JD would put his name on it from this example. Lots of oak and some choc / burnt plum flavours but nothing at all that made me think quality fruit as I had expected.
.

I dont get this wine and reckon there a Southern Rhones at half the price of this wine that kill if for quality- no Aussie wine of any varietal is gonna survive this oak romp .

I'd be interested in some $15-$18 Southern Rhones that are better than Plexus. Examples please?

[Wizz]

but I find it hard to believe JD would put his name on it from this example. Lots of oak and some choc / burnt plum flavours but nothing at all that made me think quality fruit as I had expected.
.

I dont get this wine and reckon there a Southern Rhones at half the price of this wine that kill if for quality- no Aussie wine of any varietal is gonna survive this oak romp .

Yes, lots of oak, and IMO it isnt a long keeper, but does it have to be? I assume thats what you mean by survival?

[n4sir]

And to be honest, I'm feeling far foggier after 3 glasses than I should be. Is this really 14.5%? (there is an older note, n4sir's i tihnk, suggesting 15.75% is the real number).


cheers

Andrew

I heard this at the table at Blacktongues and thought it looked every bit of the 15.75% figure at the time - I didn't know it was labelled as 14.5% and initially thought I must have got it wrong.

It turns out that local-only wines can be within 1.5% what's on the label, while most exports it's 0.5%, so it's still quite possible that's the case. Can anyone else confirm what its actual Alc/Vol is?

Cheers
Ian

[Noel]

Labelled as 14.5% in UK so it must be between 14.3-14.7% that's a fact. All wines coming to the UK have to get a VI1 and are analysed for alcohol acidity etc. The label then needs to conform to allow export.
I tried it last week and thought it had improved markedly. Lovely sweetness to the fruit, white nad black pepper galore. Oak very well integrated, long and rich. The bottle had been open for general tasting for an hour or 2 so well aerated. Have put a 6 pack in my cellar

[Lincoln]

but I find it hard to believe JD would put his name on it from this example. Lots of oak and some choc / burnt plum flavours but nothing at all that made me think quality fruit as I had expected.
.

I dont get this wine and reckon there a Southern Rhones at half the price of this wine that kill if for quality- no Aussie wine of any varietal is gonna survive this oak romp .

I'd be interested in some $15-$18 Southern Rhones that are better than Plexus. Examples please?

I cannot meet Michel's challenge, but there are heaps of Gigondas or Vacqueyras or Seguret or Cairanne wines in the low 30s and high 20s that are very drinkable: Domaine la Bouissiere, Domaine les Pallieres, Clos Montirius, even Domaine Santa Duc on rare occasions, Domaine de Mourchon and Domaine les Hautes Cances.

[Wizz]

even Domaine Santa Duc on rare occasions

rare at that price or rare they are drinkable?

[Lincoln]

even Domaine Santa Duc on rare occasions

rare at that price or rare they are drinkable?

ha ha ha
at that price, you fool!