John Duval Wines Compono Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Tasting Note

Aromas of cassis, blackcurrant leaf and cedar draw you in. The palate follows with bright layers of blackcurrant and satsuma plum, framed by a long and graceful line of fine, graphite-like tannins. Elegant and varietal Cabernet with structure and polish.

Awards & Accolades

94 Points
jamessuckling.com 

Viticulture & Winemaking

Sourced from two vineyards—one in the Moppa district of the Barossa Valley (36%), and the other in Eden Valley (64%) at the historic Hutton Vale Farm, located between the Henschke Hill of Grace and Mt Edelstone vineyards. Moppa offers altitude and red brown topsoils over heavy red clay, dotted with ironstone and quartz.

Fermentation took place in small open-top stainless steel fermenters with twice-daily pump overs or plunging, with 8 days on skins. The wine was matured in French oak hogsheads (21% new) for 15 months. Just 470 cases bottled.

The Story

While Shiraz is the Barossa’s hallmark, John Duval has a long legacy of working with Cabernet Sauvignon. In warmer, more challenging years, the Barossa can yield mixed results with Cabernet—but with careful site selection and winemaking restraint, it can offer varietal integrity, elegance, and structure. Compono is the result of that pursuit.