"The 2017 vintage was much cooler than usual for our region, ensuring superb natural acid structure and rich red colours. This flavoursome Durif has notes of raspberry, chocolate and classic Rutherglen dark fruit. The cooler year has resulted in a finer, more elegant release."
SIZE: 750ML | ALC/VOL: 14% | VEGAN FRIENDLY: YES
Grape - Estate grown Durif.
Look - Deep, dark plum red.
Aroma - Very aromatic with notes of wild blackberries, spice and cinnamon.
Taste - A full palate with rich blackcurrant, raspberry and chocolate notes. Long, structured tannins run down the centre of the palate, finishing with flavour and finesse. Selected oak from single forests provide spice and smoky notes and a structured backbone to carry the fruit and tannins for many years.
Occasion - Slow-cooked shank with a hearty ragu, a wild mushroom and truffle flavoured risotto or a French-inspired cassoulet.
Cellaring - Cellar until 2027 with optimum drinking as a 6-8 year old wine.
Winemaking - The 2017 season was cool, leading to an extended ripening period. The majority of the Reserve Durif was picked on 3 April from our “Cellar” block just behind the winery, with preference given to the Rutherglen clone. The grapes were fermented in our open-top fermenters, with hand-plunging and frequent pumpovers to extract the fruit flavour and tannins. Durif is a variety that benefits from oak contact, and its plentiful tannins and rich fruit marries well with the sweetness of American oak. We matured the wine in oak for 10 months, with a combination of 67% American oak and 33% French, of which 69% was new oak.
