2010 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.
Cool spring temperatures delayed flowering and reduced fruit set, while the summer temperatures remained moderate. In response to these conditions, we opened up the leaf canopies and dropped clusters so that the vines were well positioned to finish ripening when the warm weather arrived in the fall. The 2010 vintage was a cooler than average growing season that produced bright, fresh wines with excellent acidity, color, flavor and varietal character.
Deep and inky in color with vibrant aromas of wild blackberries, crushed rock, smoked meats and spicy oak. Concentrated dark fruit flavors are accented by a savory mid-palate and excellent acidity that provides a seamlessly balanced finish.
94 POINTS - WINE ADVOCATE
| Vintage | 2010 |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Varietal Composition | 93% Syrah
7% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | 0.62 grams / 100 ml |
| PH | 3.72 |
| Alcohol | 14.80% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
2010 SEQUEL - 94 POINTS
"The best vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2010 Syrah Sequel spent 18 months in 65% new French oak. Inky purple in color, it is decidedly meaty on the nose, with layers of black fruit, smoked meat, pepper and toast all emerging from the glass. Classy and rich on the palate, it dishes out a medium to full-bodied texture, great acidity and a blockbuster finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Despite the overall richness level, the overall profile here is downright elegant and perfectly balanced; while already delicious, it will evolve gracefully for over a decade."
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2010 SEQUEL - 93 POINTS
"This has the excellent acidity to support the ripe, super-concentrated fruit. Dense raspberry, cherry compote, baking spices, cola and licorice all come into play, with a streak of dried tobacco adding further interest. Editors' Choice."
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Syrah from Yakima Valley’s Boushey Vineyard (40%) gives Sequel its bright, fresh fruit character. These grapes are the perfect complement to the dense, dark fruit grown at Bacchus Vineyard (23%), from one of the oldest Syrah blocks in the state. Grapes from Candy Mountain (26%), adjacent to Red Mountain, give the wine its backbone. The remaining Syrah is grown at Sonnet Vineyard at The Benches in the Horse Heaven Hills, planted to a Shiraz clone that John recommended for its dark, rich and complex character. Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon contributes structure and adds to the wine’s appealing mid-palate.
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.
