Winemaker Notes
Blend: 54% Shiraz, 32% Grenache, 14% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 Plexus has a seriously spicy perfume over a core of baked raspberries, crushed blackberries and red currant jelly, plus wafts of pepper and tar. Ripe, rich and medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a gorgeous, velvet-lined texture, with savory and earthy flavors coming through on the long finish. 93+
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Wine Spectator
Broad, expressive and open-textured, with a sense of restraint to the black cherry, blackberry, floral and wet earth flavors, finishing with density, harmony and persistence. Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. Drink now through 2021.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.