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
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro blend, the 2015 Plexus has a pale to medium garnet-purple color and nose of kirsch, red currant jelly and raspberry preserves with hints of Chinese five spice, hoisin, roses, black pepper and underbrush. Rich, concentrated, full-bodied and full-on seductive, it fills the palate with exotically spiced red fruit preserves. With plush tannins and a balanced freshness, it has a perfumed finish with satisfying persistence.
-
James Suckling
A flavorful red with lots of juicy-fruit and chocolate character. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a savory finish. Drink now. Screw cap.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Renowned 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.
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.