John Duval Plexus Shiraz Blend 2019
- Rich, full-bodied
- Barossa Valley
If you don’t know John Duval, you’ll know his masterpieces of wine. Does Penfolds ring a bell? Oh, John was only the Chief Winemaker there for 17 years. Besides the responsibility of producing the country’s most iconic wine- Penfolds Grange - John initiated the now coveted ranges of RWT, Bin 138 and Bin 407, cementing his position amongst legends of the trade. All this, as well as being the fifth generation Duval to manage the family vineyard in Morphett Vale where John now creates his own juice.
Profile
If anyone can be trusted to make a blend with intensity, focus and coherence, it’s John Duval. Old vine shiraz (45%), grenache (32%) and mourvédre (23%) were vinified separately to allow control over every tiny detail of the final product. What does that product look like, you ask? Generous and weighted, with a plush line of plum and blackcurrant. It’ll glide over the palate with warm spice and salted licorice, even some walnut coming along for the ride. The reduced yields from the 2019 vintage meant the fruit that made it to harvest was exceptionally concentrated, structuring this wine to last for years to come. Sink in and experience the master at work.
Reviews
Mike Bennie
“Sloshy, good times red of charisma, brightness yet depth, sweet-ripe fruit character and a lick of nutty-savoury seasoning through it all. Swamps the palate in plummy fruit and salted liquorice characters then the afterglow of hazelnuts and dark chocolate. You can see the queue forming. Great shape, feel, satiny texture and character.”
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- Barossa Valley
- Vintage
- 2019
- Cellaring
- 2031
- Preservatives
- sulphites
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 14.5%
- Closure
- Screwcap
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- Shiraz (45%), Grenache (32%) and Mourvèdre (23%)
- Serving Temp.
- 15.0°C
Region
Barossa Valley
'Barossa Valley'. This is Australia's key wine brand overseas, in the US especially. It's our riposte to 'Champagne', 'Scotch' and 'Barolo'. My mind conjures these images, in this order: Shiraz, Penfolds wine, Maggie Beer condiments. All of which can GET - IN - MY - BELLY! But there is so much more to the Barossa than first glance. There are fringe (and not so fringe) winemakers actively working to classify the valley's subregions, and this is a very worthy cause. From Moppa to Seppeltsfield to Marananga there's a lot of variation, and the styles produced can vary immensely. This is the next step in the vision of this region (which, let's face it, is a baby in the scheme of things), as it gets acquainted with its strengths, weaknesses and future opportunities.It's a region that's not sorry to produce the big, fruit-driven wine styles that make it so popular. So drink to the future of the Barossa, because it's as bright as any other region on the world stage.