Big rich and muscular. This is a generous and bullish Durif.
Showing posts with label Durif. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Durif. Show all posts
Monday, 21 November 2022
Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Golden Grove Estate Durif 2019
A generous Durif that comes across bigger than the stated 13.7% alcohol. Lip smacking deluxe.
Sunday, 8 November 2020
La Petite Mort Qvevri DM 2018
Another creative master piece from the La Petit Mort label. A blend of Durif and Mataro, this sat on skins for 183 days inside Georgian Qvevri.
Wednesday, 5 August 2020
Berton Vineyard Metal Label Durif 2019
Durif is a street tough. A big, burly frame but with a soft smile when coerced.
Wednesday, 9 October 2019
Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Deen De Bortoli DEEN Master’s Blend Vat 184 2015
A new blend launched for Father's Day. It's a rich and generous wine made for dads too. I'm thinking steaks or even a good ol' meat pie.
Thursday, 15 August 2019
Atze’s Corner The Giant Durif 2017
As rare as Barossa Valley Durif one could say. Solid drinking to give you a cuddle on the inside when its chilly outside.
Wednesday, 17 July 2019
Golden Grove Estate Tranquillo Rosso 2017
A tasty new medium-bodied release from Golden Grove Estate. The rolling hills on the label create a perfect canvas for the easy-going vibe it exudes.
Sunday, 11 March 2018
Ballandean Estate Messing About Durif 2016
A wine ready to take aim for a long stint in the cellar but drinks well now ready for a big piece of meat beside it.
Sunday, 25 February 2018
Petersons Jamie's Quatro 2015
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Golden Grove Durif 2016
Golden Grove's Durif has beaten Rutherglen stalwarts a few times now pipping them at their own wine show. Here's another cracker from some not so typical Durif country.
Monday, 18 July 2016
Golden Grove Estate Durif 2014
This is a big boy - thick set, black fruits are bold and rich. A lick of fruit sweetness adds some charm and although there is a firm tannin presence, it's ability to warm the soul can't be denied. Fennel, aniseed, plus a sprinkle of spice to finish, hearty winter dishes and this would make great friends.
Drinking well now though I'd like to see it in another couple of years. Long term cellaring is certainly on the cards.
94+/100 - Very good+
Region: Granite Belt
RRP: $30
Source: Sample
www.goldengroveestate.com.au
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Monday, 22 February 2016
Ballandean Estate Durif 2014
Bold dark fruit, specifically red plums, blackberries and mulberries, puckering tannins dry out every drop of saliva from the mouth. I almost get the sense that the tannin is sprayed finely around the mouth to coat it.
It's a meal on its own and needs a chunk of steak to cut through.
Cellar medium term
Good.
Region: Granite Belt
RRP: $35
Source: Sample
www.ballandeanestate.com
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Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Ballandean Estate Durif 2013
Juicy dark cherry and black fruit plus a smattering of dried Mediterranean herbs. Some purple flowers have a presence in the background. The thing I like about this Durif is that you are not clobbered over the head with power as many tend to do. This weighs in at around 14% Alc.
Blackcurrant leafiness comes to the fore at the finish. Sapping and drying tannins come in late. This is something to cuddle up to on a cold winter's night.
I reckon it will be drinking best in a couple of years but it is still a more than decent drop now.
Very good.
Region: Granite Belt
RRP: $35
Source: Sample
www.ballandeanestate.com
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Friday, 12 December 2014
Golden Grove Durif 2013
Dangerously approachable, it's a far cry from the 15% plus alcohol blockbusters coming from Rutherglen.
There's plenty going on. Tar, lead pencil, mulberry and raspberry fruits, black pepper, black garden soil, and dried savoury herbs. A little perky acid rides the fruit to give good balance.
A medium term cellaring option but is drinking well now.
Very good to excellent.
Region: Granite Belt
RRP: $30
Source: Sample
www.goldengroveestate.com.au
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Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Westend Three Bridges Durif 2012
Fully loaded, this wine is powerful and dense yet soft and supple.
Packed with blackberries, chocolate, and vanillin oak, the wine is beautifully structured. Fruit flavours are deep and generous with a warming finish which is long and delicious.
An excellent wine which is even more enhanced by the asking price, a mere $25.
Get a bottle, it's worth it and then some!
Who: Calabria Family Wines
What: Durif (14.5% alc)
Where: Riverina
When: 2012
How much: $25
www.calabriawines.com.au
Monday, 22 April 2013
Brown Brothers Limited Release Durif 2010
The fruit comes from the Brown Brothers Heathcote vineyards and possesses that unmistakable earthy aroma. A few sips of this just reaffirmed why I have a secret love affair with Heathcote.
Full bodied, the wine also delivers generous flavours of plums and a slight minty edge. There was a dash of spice in there but the wonderful smoothness was the treat.
Perfect for a cold night and hearty meal, it's a great wine for the price and will cellar for at least ten years.
If you feel the need to stray from the ever popular Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, you may be pleasantly surprised with a Durif.
Cellar door or online only.
Who: Brown Brothers
What: Durif (14.5% alc)
Where: Heathcote
When: 2010
How: $21
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Swirl Sniff Spit - Granite Belt night July 2012
Swirl Sniff Spit is a proud group of Queenslanders who get together on the third Tuesday of each month to learn and share in wines from many regions and of various varieties. The time had come to dip into our own backyard and see what is kicking around on the Granite Belt.
The Granite Belt is Queensland's premier wine region and boasts some of the highest (most between 850-950m) and coldest vineyards in Australia. Last week the temperature dropped to -9C! I recently enjoyed an excellent weekend in the region. Check out my adventure here.
Poor granite soils dominate the vineyards and the vines struggle to produce their fruit, yet the fruit which is the result delivers a handy product.
Getting the word out about the Granite Belt is a struggle at times too as the vast majority of wineries rely on Cellar Door sales to move the wine to the consumer. Quantities produced by the wineries are small compared to southern counterparts and therefore it is hard to get into the big players in the retail sector. Recent years have seen more and more Granite Belt wineries creeping into the retail market which is a pleasing sign for them.
We were privileged to have the company of two winemakers on the evening - Glen Robert from Bent Road Winery and Warren Smith from Pyramids Road Wines. Both shared their tremendous knowledge and passion on various topics through the night including the use of oak, wild yeast, blending, and more. Much more. Many thanks to you both for your company and sharing your valuable time.
The wines selected for the evening were done to showcase the region and wines with a point of difference.
Many eyebrows were raised through the night and the quality of the wines shone through. Big thanks to the wineries who sent through samples and for being so keen to participate.
So to the wines....
Bent Road Marsanne 2011 http://www.bentroadwine.com.au/
Lean and clean. Made in the aperitif style (10.7% alc). Lemons. Damn this is seriously good!
Cypress Post Viognier Marsanne 2011 http://www.cypresspost.com.au/
Nose of apricot and paw paw. Apricot and peachy flavours on the palate. An oily feel on the palate too which adds some interest. A great food wine (14% alc).
Ridgemill Estate Chardonnay 2011 http://www.ridgemillestate.com/
Funky as!! Wild ferment, taken off lees to remove buttery characteristics. Mustard seeds, oyster shell, toasted almonds, and herby characters all on the nose. The palate was awash with stone fruit flavours. A Chardonnay with a difference and very yummy!
Ravens Croft Chardonnay 2011 http://www.ravenscroftwines.com.au/
Fruit sourced from Bungawarra Wines at Ballandean. A tight and toasty nose with butterscotch. Lees stirred. 25% was wild fermented and 25% Malo. New oak was used (50%) and of this, it was an even split between French and American. Cashews leap out. It was likened to a Pinot Gris by some. Fruit screaming loudly. Lean, pear and even apple. Well made and some serious delish factor!
Ridgemill Estate Tempranillo 2009 http://www.ridgemillestate.com/
A good whiff of oak, dark cherries and herb. Minimal acid, A lovely rounded palate with juicy fruit and good length. Impressive.
Hidden Creek Tempranillo 2009 http://www.hiddencreek.com.au/
Plummy and savoury with enjoyable length. A little firmer tannin mouthfeel. Bold style typical of Spain. Winemaker Jim Barnes has spent vintage time in Spain and modelled his Tempranillo on that experience. This won plenty of fans.
Boireann La Cima Barbera 2008 http://www.boireannwinery.com.au/
Cherries, plummy, rounded with a touch of spice. Soft and very approachable. Acid noticeable. Have a plate of salami handy and load up!
Summit Estate Queensland Cabernets 2009 http://www.summitestate.com.au/
A fruit salad of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Fragrent violets prominent. Intense concentration of blackberry fruit on the palate. A big wine yet classy with a long, lingering finish.
Witches Falls Prophecy Syrah http://www.witchesfalls.com.au/
Soft yet has an acid edge which points to plenty of aging potential. Fruit abundant with oak adding to the profile nicely. Spice, pepper, cherries all kicking on. Tannins complement the wine very well. Many stood up and took notice.
Bent Road Syrah Cabernets 2009 http://www.bentroadwine.com.au/
Soft and elegant with complexity. Super long and delicious finish. Fruit punches through very well. A well made wine in a tough vintage. Value deluxe at $19!
Golden Grove Durif 2010 http://www.goldengroveestate.com.au/
Big black fruit flavours. Sexy earthiness. American oak creeping in. The palate is coated with softness and a savoury finish to wrap it all up. Super drinkability.
Pyramids Road Wines Mourvedre 2011 http://www.pyramidsroad.com.au/
Has only been in the bottle six weeks. A European style Mourvedre - bright nose, acid driven, bone dry and finishes with chalky tannins. Very impressive and the best of it is yet to come. The crew LOVED it!
Ballandean Estate Sylvaner 2005 http://www.ballandeanestate.com/
Late harvest. Rated the best in the world by some judges. Honey, apricots and citrus peel nose. Canned tropical fruit, marmalade and rockmelon palate. Clean finish. Damn fine!
Witches Falls Botryis Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 http://www.witchesfalls.com.au/
Oh sweet mumma! This is super delish and it is hard to stop sipping. A good whiff of stone fruits and citrus. Palate of apricots and peaches. Well balanced. Palate flush with sticky goodness. It would be rude to not lick the glass.
The Granite Belt is Queensland's premier wine region and boasts some of the highest (most between 850-950m) and coldest vineyards in Australia. Last week the temperature dropped to -9C! I recently enjoyed an excellent weekend in the region. Check out my adventure here.
Poor granite soils dominate the vineyards and the vines struggle to produce their fruit, yet the fruit which is the result delivers a handy product.
Getting the word out about the Granite Belt is a struggle at times too as the vast majority of wineries rely on Cellar Door sales to move the wine to the consumer. Quantities produced by the wineries are small compared to southern counterparts and therefore it is hard to get into the big players in the retail sector. Recent years have seen more and more Granite Belt wineries creeping into the retail market which is a pleasing sign for them.
 |
| Glen Robert |
The wines selected for the evening were done to showcase the region and wines with a point of difference.
 |
| Warren Smith |
So to the wines....
Lean and clean. Made in the aperitif style (10.7% alc). Lemons. Damn this is seriously good!
Cypress Post Viognier Marsanne 2011 http://www.cypresspost.com.au/
Nose of apricot and paw paw. Apricot and peachy flavours on the palate. An oily feel on the palate too which adds some interest. A great food wine (14% alc).
Funky as!! Wild ferment, taken off lees to remove buttery characteristics. Mustard seeds, oyster shell, toasted almonds, and herby characters all on the nose. The palate was awash with stone fruit flavours. A Chardonnay with a difference and very yummy!
Ravens Croft Chardonnay 2011 http://www.ravenscroftwines.com.au/
Fruit sourced from Bungawarra Wines at Ballandean. A tight and toasty nose with butterscotch. Lees stirred. 25% was wild fermented and 25% Malo. New oak was used (50%) and of this, it was an even split between French and American. Cashews leap out. It was likened to a Pinot Gris by some. Fruit screaming loudly. Lean, pear and even apple. Well made and some serious delish factor!
A good whiff of oak, dark cherries and herb. Minimal acid, A lovely rounded palate with juicy fruit and good length. Impressive.
Hidden Creek Tempranillo 2009 http://www.hiddencreek.com.au/
Plummy and savoury with enjoyable length. A little firmer tannin mouthfeel. Bold style typical of Spain. Winemaker Jim Barnes has spent vintage time in Spain and modelled his Tempranillo on that experience. This won plenty of fans.
Cherries, plummy, rounded with a touch of spice. Soft and very approachable. Acid noticeable. Have a plate of salami handy and load up!
Summit Estate Queensland Cabernets 2009 http://www.summitestate.com.au/
A fruit salad of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Fragrent violets prominent. Intense concentration of blackberry fruit on the palate. A big wine yet classy with a long, lingering finish.
Soft yet has an acid edge which points to plenty of aging potential. Fruit abundant with oak adding to the profile nicely. Spice, pepper, cherries all kicking on. Tannins complement the wine very well. Many stood up and took notice.
Bent Road Syrah Cabernets 2009 http://www.bentroadwine.com.au/
Soft and elegant with complexity. Super long and delicious finish. Fruit punches through very well. A well made wine in a tough vintage. Value deluxe at $19!
Big black fruit flavours. Sexy earthiness. American oak creeping in. The palate is coated with softness and a savoury finish to wrap it all up. Super drinkability.
Pyramids Road Wines Mourvedre 2011 http://www.pyramidsroad.com.au/
Has only been in the bottle six weeks. A European style Mourvedre - bright nose, acid driven, bone dry and finishes with chalky tannins. Very impressive and the best of it is yet to come. The crew LOVED it!
Late harvest. Rated the best in the world by some judges. Honey, apricots and citrus peel nose. Canned tropical fruit, marmalade and rockmelon palate. Clean finish. Damn fine!
Witches Falls Botryis Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 http://www.witchesfalls.com.au/
Oh sweet mumma! This is super delish and it is hard to stop sipping. A good whiff of stone fruits and citrus. Palate of apricots and peaches. Well balanced. Palate flush with sticky goodness. It would be rude to not lick the glass.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Deen DeBortoli Vat 1 Durif 2009
I've been told about the Deen DeBortoli range of wines by several people but never got round to getting my hands on them. Thanks to the lovely Carrah at DeBortoli who was kind enough to throw me a sample.
Fruit is sourced mainly from the Riverina and a small amount from the King Valley (17%). A great wine on many levels but the price is what keeps stunning me.
Fruit is deep purple and inky. Nose of some earthiness, lifted blackberries, chocolate and obvious savoury oak. This full bodied wine (13.5% abv) has a palate that is well rounded with firm tannins and a deliciously long finish.
Sit it on the table and try and convince your mates you only paid 10 bucks. Stunning value.
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