John Duval made his name as the man behind some of the greatest Granges, during his reign as Penfolds chief winemaker from 1986 to 2002. Under his watch, the iconic 1990 Grange was voted wine of the year by the influential US magazine Wine Spectator.

The 1998 Grange also achieved cult status, with US critic Robert Parker scoring it at 99 points out of 100. The 1994 and 1996 vintages of Grange also remain highly coveted.

He was named Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London in 1989 and Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge in London in 1991 and again in 2000.

After 29 years at Penfolds, he departed the scene during Southcorp's disastrous 2001 merger with Rosemount and started his own label.

“John Duval Wines will never be another Penfolds - it is simply my chance to express my 30 odd years of premium winemaking knowledge using some of the best fruit in the world,’’ he says.

His skill as a master blender, along with his knowledge of Barossa old vine Shiraz, has seen his John Duval wines elevated to the highest ranks, with serious scores in the mid 90s consistently awarded by critics for his premium Eligo Shiraz, Entity Shiraz and Plexus Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre blend.

Sourcing fruit from vines of more than 100 years old, his wines express the generous flavours of the Barossa, but have a signature stamp of modern elegance and polish. John also consults to a number of international wine companies in Europe, South America and Australia and is a vintner partner in the Long Shadows venture in Washington State, where the first 2003 Sequel Shiraz was released in late 2005.

In Chile, he has helped to produce Pangea, highlighting the premium Syrah of the Apalta Valley. In Australia, he also consults to a project using old vine McLaren Vale Shiraz to produce Songlines Shiraz (sold in UK and Australia) and Oriel Sygnet (sold in the US).

“As you can imagine I don't get enough time to spend at my home in the Barossa but I insist on securing at least four uninterrupted months around vintage to make my own wines,’’ he says. - edited by John Lehmann