Winemaker Notes
Traditional, low intervention winemaking techniques are employed with Plexus, allowing the wine to be approachable in its youth, but also have medium term cellaring potential for 8-10 years.
The color is vibrant purple with deep red hues. A nose of dark berries and bramble with a dusting of spices, licorice and dried herbs. Medium bodied with a generous core of ripe black berries and supporting red fruits. Ample structure providedby fine grainy tannins witha long spicy finish
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesRenowned Barossa winemaker John Duval’s reds have a certain style signature to them: savory, herbaceous and finely structured— polished without pretense—and this classic Aussie blend doesn’t disappoint. The nose swims with plums, raspberries, oak spice, dried floral and green-herbal notes, backed by a savory streak and herbal tonic nuances. Medium to full bodied, the palate is gripped firmly by fine-grained, herbal tannins. Plums and oak spice round out the finish.
John Duval is one of Australia's most highly regarded winemakers. Raised on a South Australian farm with three generations of grape growers before him, his vinous path was fated. However, it was during his 28-year tenure with Penfolds that his passion for the famed Barossa Valley flourished. As Chief Winemaker and custodian of Australia's most famous wine, Grange, he was instrumental in establishing Penfolds as one of the world's great wineries. His accolades include being named UK Wine and Spirit Competition's International Winemaker of the Year, Red Winemaker of the Year (twice) and receiving Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year award. In 2003, John embarked on his own label, John Duval Wines, inspired by the best of the Barossa Valley's low-yielding, old vine vineyards. With a deft touch he crafts intense wines that are as complex and distinctive as the diverse terroir of his treasured Barossa Valley.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in 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 featuring Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. 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.
