John Duval is the fifth generation of his family to have worked with wine, and his credentials are known and respected by many within the wine industry. A student of Roseworthy College in Adelaide, he graduated in 1973 and began working almost immediately for Penfolds. He was lucky enough to work with Max Schubert, the creator of the revered Penfolds Grange, and in 1986 John took over as chief winemaker at the company, becoming only the third winemaker to have been responsible for the Grange. John also created several other wines that are now standard Penfolds offerings, such as the Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon. Eventually, John decided to move on from Penfolds, and in the process he set up his own wine label. Drawing on his invaluable experience, whilst trying to create wines that were different to those he previously made, he released his first John Duval wine in 2003. In 2010 he released his first wine, Plexus White, a blend of Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier.

John Duval offers a small line-up of wines, however, each one is sought-after by sellers and collectors. ‘The Plexus Red’ is the “entry-level” wine, made from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre, sourced from the Barossa and Eden Valleys. The ‘Annexus Grenache’ is a limited-release wine, from very old, low-yielding vines in the ‘Eden Valley’ and northern ‘Barossa Valley’, with an abundance of red fruit on the nose and palate. The ‘Eligo Shiraz’ is made only in exceptional years when they can source the best fruit, and as such has only been made ten times since the winery was established.

For more information on John Duval and his range of wines, head to his website.