Description

This wine was made from petit syrah, aka. durif, grown on the cambrian soils of northern Heathcote. The vineyard sits just outside the township of Toolleen, viticulture is managed with organic practices and yields are kept painstakingly low.

I have something of a sympathetic eye for this variety – Historically, it was a blending variety used in fortified wine production and occupied space in Rutherglen’s high-octane dry-reds. These required splinter removal due to excessive oak regimes. Needless to say, history wasn’t kind, though the variety had it’s place.

Durif originated in the Rhône-Alpes, where syrah and peloursin crossed serendipitously. Packed full of dark fruit, briar, herbal characters and sweet spice; the firm tannins and breezy freshness led this variety to significant gastronomic application.

In ‘22 we present a more tender approach.

Hand harvested durif was fermented as whole bunches for the first 14 days.

Carbonic maceration occurred and we really leant into the cool-blue and dark red fruit spectrum. To further build and subjugate tannin, the wine was then destemmed after 2 weeks to continue maceration without stalks.

Once pressed the wine spent 12 months in a combination of 3 year old french burgundy barriques, Taransaud and Rousseau.

‘Petit Syrah’ is a taut and fragrant example of this variety.

Cool blue and red fruits are in abundance with high toned herbal/spice notes wrapped around fine yet firm tannins.