2007 Sequel Syrah - 1.5L
John Duval, formerly of Australia's iconic Penfolds Grange, chose the Columbia Valley as his "Sequel" for the continuation of his life's work with Syrah.
Dark, lush and layered with blackberry, ripe plum and blueberry flavors complimented by aromas of black tea and incense. The wine offers great depth and richness with a silky texture and vibrant finish.
93 POINTS - WINE ENTHUSIAST
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2007 |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Varietal Composition | 98% Syrah
2% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | 0.63g/ 100ml |
| PH | 3.81 |
| Aging | Drink now through 2022 |
| Alcohol | 14.70% |
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Volume | 1.5 liter |
2007 SEQUEL - 93 POINTS
"Pungent and spicy, dark and brooding, this wine brings it with deep, sappy berry fruit and overtones of meat and garrigue, all with muscle and verve. Tannins are firm and hard, showing some ripe stem and earth flavors, and plenty of barrel toast. Muscular and warm, this Syrah walks the line perfectly between the Rhone and Barossa." Cellar Selection
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2007 SEQUEL - 93 POINTS
"Ripe and round, delivering a lively mouthful of blueberry, plum, floral, and white pepper flavors that cascade around one another through the long, vivid finish. Drink now through 2017."
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2007 SEQUEL - 93 POINTS
"Bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, smoked meat, pepper and an ineffable floral quality. Then fat, concentrated and surprisingly dry and classic, with palate-staining flavors of black raspberry, blackberry and pepper. Offers superb breadth with a light touch. This very youthful wine finishes impressively long, with a late note of hard candy."
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2007 SEQUEL - 92 POINTS
"The 2007 Sequel is made up of 98% Syrah and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in 65% new French oak and 5% 300-liter American oak "hogsheads". A glass-coating opaque purple color, it emits an expressive bouquet of smoked meat, bacon, lavender, sage, blueberry, and plum. On the palate it is plush and layered suggesting readiness for near-term drinking. However, there is ample underlying structure for those wanting to wait for a more aged character. This lengthy effort should provide pleasure through 2022."
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2007 SEQUEL - 91 POINTS
"Nicely focused, keenly varietal and proving that a wine can be, at once, both ripe and structured, Sequel's layered look at Syrah is a concentrated, complex, and well-composed effort that shows plenty of potential for further improvement with age. That said, its polish and seamless construction afford it plenty of near-term appeal, and those who are simply unable to wait for the four or five years it deserves will find it a most handsome mate to roast leg of lamb even now." |
Since Sequel’s inception in 2003, John has worked with a diverse selection of Columbia Valley vineyards to craft a deeply concentrated and layered wine. Syrah from The Benches (formerly known as Wallula Vineyards) and Alder Ridge, in the Horse Heaven Hills, gives the wine its structure. Boushey Vineyard Syrah, from the Yakima Valley, adds freshness and balance. Mature vines from Bacchus Vineyard near Pasco provide complexity and dimension, while vineyards in and around Red Mountain give the wine its backbone and rich texture.
Few winemakers are as synonymous with the iconic wines of a country as John Duval, best known for his work with Penfolds Grange, the gold standard for Australian Shiraz.
John joined Penfolds winery in 1974 after completing his studies in agriculture and winemaking. In 1986 John was appointed Chief Winemaker, following the winemaking greats Max Schubert and Don Ditter.
The Duval Family had for many years run a world famous Suffolk sheep stud and also ran quality vineyards, at Morphett Vale south of Adelaide, coincidently supplying Shiraz grapes and vine cuttings to Penfolds.
During his time as Chief Winemaker, John oversaw a dynamic period of development. The many awards and accolades for its wines helped establish Penfolds as one of the world's great wine brands.
While his honors and awards are too numerous to list, some of the highlights include the Robert Mondavi Trophy for Winemaker of the Year in 1989 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London; two-time recipient of the Red Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine Challenge in London, first in 1991 and then again in 2000; and Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year” award in 1995 for the 1990 vintage of Penfolds Grange.
After 28 years, John stepped down from the company in 2002 to establish John Duval Wines, debuting with the 2003 vintage of Plexus SGM. John now makes four wines under his John Duval Wines label, a white; 'Plexus White' (Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier), and three reds; 'Plexus Red' (Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre), 'Entity' (Shiraz) and 'Eligo' (Shiraz).
In addition to making his own wine, John also has a joint venture project with Ventisquero in the Apalta Valley, Chile and in 2003 John traveled to the Columbia Valley at the invitation of Long Shadows Vintners' founder Allen Shoup to make his first U.S. wine, Sequel, a name chose in recognition of his life's work with Syrah.
Never one to be far from great Shiraz, he currently resides in the Barossa Valley, home to some of Australia’s oldest vines.
