Australian Shiraz

2004 John Duval, Entity ($42) -- Barrosa Valley, Australia . 750 cases produced. I almost selected this wine for Wine Blogging Wednesday, but decided to savor this tremendous wine during last night's snow storm and today's Snow Day without rushing to post my review. If you think the kids are having a blast today, I managed to go skiing this morning with my son, play tennis with Polly, and now we are off to the Playhouse in an hour or so for dinner and a play. Unfortunately, I doubt the wine selection will be as fine as Chez Jens'.

As many of you know John Duval was the winemaker for Penfolds Grange during the 80's and 90's. It is outstanding that for about $40, one can experience such a master winemaker.

In the meantime, I am finishing off the remnants of last night's bottle. I very much like the Plexus, but I may have found a new favorite. This wine reminds me of a dense, intense Cote-Rotie or Hermitage because of its elegance. Strength and beauty in one. Also, it was still going strong the next day without any extaordinary preservation methods. (It sat on the bar with a cork in it.)

Parker raved about this wine. I leave it up to you to figure the points awarded. (For those that dislike the whole 100 point scoring system, I suggest posting his reviews without the numbers!):

"The 2004 Entity (100% Shiraz) is even more profound than the Plexus. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by a magical, sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, camphor, espresso roast, and subtle wood-scented perfume. A fabulous attack, voluptuous, full-bodied mid-palate, multi-layered texture and finish suggest this brilliant Shiraz should drink beautifully for 12-15+ years."