One of the world’s great winemakers, John Duval was given the ‘Grange’ torch by Max Schubert, the man who created Australia’s most famous wine. John passed it on to his successor when he left Penfolds in 2003 to start his own label. He sources fruit from long-time friends in the Barossa, all of whom own vineyards with vines aged from 50 to 100 years old. The wines are made with minimal intervention and showcase the best of the Barossa.

Marsanne was sourced from the Marananga and Seppeltsfield regions, Roussanne from the Kalimna region and Viognier from Eden Valley.

Gentle pressings were combined with free run juice and cold settled. Fermentation commenced in stainless steel, but 50% of the blend (some of the Marsanne and all of the Viognier) finished fermentation in fine grain French oak, where it was aged for about six months. It was then blended with the remaining Marsanne and Roussanne, which was aged on lees in tank to enhance the structure and texture of the wine. Only 10% of the oak was new.

Aromas of stone fruits, honeysuckle and dried apricot on the nose. This wine is medium bodied with good texture, dry finish and balanced acidity. Rich flavours of nectarine, mandarin and pear make for good food pairings with seafood and white meats.

The 2016 growing season started with a warm, dry spring with good conditions for flowering and fruit-set. The mild conditions in January resulted in whites with crisp acid levels.