From the Riverina district of New South Wales comes a wine more usually associated with the north east of Victoria.  The grape was “discovered” by French botanist Fracois Durif in the mid-late 1800’s after a Syrah (Shiraz) vine had cross pollinated with Peloursin (genetic coding has found that Shiraz was the daddy and Peloursin the mummy). Durif is more commonly known in the United States as “Petite Syrah.”

Berton Vineyards, Durif, Riverina, 2019

Dense, near opaque purple. Profound aromas of rich purple flowers, pink and black peppercorn, rich chocolate fondant, plum sauce, blackberry, blueberry, smoke, iron and a touch of rusticity/dustiness like opening an old relative’s sitting room cupboard. While undeniably full, it still maintains a level of fine concentration. Tannins like rusty railway spikes pierce the solid sleepers of deep dark fruit, seasoned by plenty of spice (liquourice/fennel). There’s just a little too much vanilla on the finish for mine, but there’s still a lot of wine for the price for those that love their things dark.

RRP: $13
Alc: 14.5%
Rating: 17.25/20 (89/100)

Wine sample courtesy of Berton Vineyards