2021 John Duval Wines Annexus Mataro 750ml

REVIEWS & AWARDS: 96 HALLIDAY

Mataro sourced from 100-year-old, dry-grown bush vines in Light Pass. Dark plum, mulberry and macerated berry fruit are cut with notes of exotic spice, hanging meats, licorice, earth and light purple floral tones. There is a lovely fruit density and texture here, pure yet savoury edged with tight, sandy tannin support and a spicy red and dark-fruited finish. Proof that mataro is capable of greatness.

2024 Halliday Wine Companion top-rated wines, 03 Apr 202

First planted in Barossa in the 1850s, the region is today a rich source of old vine Mataro, including the oldest known vineyards in the world. Our relationships with local grape growing families provide privileged access to many exceptional old Mataro vineyards from which we produce wine for our Plexus Red blend. Encouraged by the response to our initial bottlings of small parcels of Grenache under the Annexus label, we extended the idea of presenting the best of the varietal components of Plexus to Mataro with the first release from the highly praised 2016 vintage.

Deep dark fruits, hints of rose and violet and smoky earth. Layers of black plum, blackberry, blueberry and amaro notes supported by well-defined tannins, finishing long and clean with pleasing savouriness and slatey minerality.

ABOUT `JOHN DUVAL WINES`

John Duval is one of the world’s best known winemakers, coming from a family that boasts four generations of South Australian vignerons. He has been saluted many times on the world stage, notably International Winemaker of the Year in 1989 and twice Red Winemaker of the Year in 1991 and 2000. After 28 years with Penfolds, including 16 years as Chief Winemaker, John has created these stunning wines under the John Duval label, which has now welcomed second generation Tim on board. Utilising old vine Barossa fruit, the wines express the terroir of the Barossa and the hand-crafted attention of John Duval.