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Handcrafted Wine
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Shipping Australia Wide
Handcrafted Wine
Family Owned
Sustainability
What variety are we talking about?!
Well, it's another varietal with Eastern France origins, it was discovered in the 1860s by botanist Dr François Durif at the University of Montpellier, where fruit with resilience to downy mildew would present as a favourable trait in a region plagued by the disease.
Yet it failed to make a splash in France – perhaps due to its susceptibility to botrytis, or perhaps because the French are very spoilt for choice!
Today's variety we're shining the spotlight on is none other than Durif..
Renamed Petit Sirah by those who imported it into California in the 1890s following the loss of all their Syrah vines at the hand of Phylloxera, it was later discovered that Petit Sirah and Durif were genetically one and the same – both a natural cross of Peloursin and Shiraz.
Largely rejected by France, and much-loved by the Californians that call it Petit Sirah, Wineries there produce deep, full-bodied and cellar worthy wines, both varietal and blended. Californians are so enamoured with the grape that a website coined PS I Love You has fostered a community to promote and support the legitimacy of the varietal. Wild!
Rated 94 Points and the second best 2017 Durif in all of Australia by Huon Hooke at The Real Review.
Limited Time Deal: With only a handful of cases remaining of the 2017 vintage grab the special deal below while stocks last.
Buy Five Bottles of The Giant 2017 Durif and get one BONUS bottle of the yet to be released Giant 2018 Durif at no cost (Gold Medal - Small Vigneron Awards).
Get the Deal Now, Click Here
Imported into Australia and popular in the regions of the Riverina and Rutherglen, while particularly championed by Warrabilla Wines, Durif has been used to make powerful, full-bodied, high alcohol wines pushing 17% alcohol, as well as blending with Shiraz for table wines and sparkling red wines.
Think big, inky black wines well-suited to carrying oak flavours, cellaring, and colouring your lips after a few cosy glasses!
Durif in the Barossa...
Embraced by a handful in our own region, the late-ripening grape thrives in a warm climate. Barossa Durifs are big, bold reds, but not to the extent of their old school Rutherglen and Riverina counterparts.
Barossan winemakers of Durif wines tend to agree that a long maceration creates finer tannin and more luscious wines, rich in dark fruit and with an excellent ability to meld with the smoky and spicy flavours passed on by oak barrels.
From memory, Dan Standish and Jason Collin from Maseena Wines first brought it to our attention after they sourced a small amount from another grower.
Charles Cimicky was one of the first to have it planted in the area, sparking my interest when I tasted it at a Barossa Wine show in the early 2000s. We first planted ours in 2005 around the same time as Penfolds and Kalleske Wines.
The legacy of The Giant.
It’s clear to see that Durif’s natural characteristics make it well suited to both the Barossa region and our Atze’s Corner red wine range.
Grown in Koonunga, the far north of the Barossa, our north-eastern facing, sloped vineyard at 280m elevation is named after one of the original Irish settlers, a bluff-hearted gentleman towering over 2m tall and affably nicknamed Giant.
Legend has it that on one warm summer’s day, as he was entering a bank in the nearby township of Kapunda, two bank robbers were making a swift exit. With his huge hands, Giant grabbed a robber in each hand and smacked them together, knocking the would-be thieves to the ground!
Our Durif – The Giant 2017 Vintage
Up on the northern tip of the Barossa Valley, drier conditions and cooler nights create a calm, long ripening period for our Durif, allowing the already big varietal flavours to take on a little restraint in body, while adding structure that helps the wine to age.
Previously, we blended a little Shiraz into our Durif to contribute further length to the back palate to the wine, but as our vines have gracefully aged, the need no longer exists.
Our 2017 vintage was a labour of love in the winery. This wine was given an extended maceration for over 20 days days. Enjoying pump overs by hand, hand-plunging, and gentle pressing, our Durif spent 16 months in 3rd fill French/American oak, with 20% in new American oak Hogshead barrels for a lovely softness to balance its powerful upfront palate weight.
Coming in at 14.5% is matched by its full bodied flavours. Bold and robust, well-ripened fruit produced strong spicy blackberry and dark plum aromas and flavours, bolstered by sweet spice, supple tannin and balanced acidity.
A dense, rich and rustic Barossa Valley red best served with a sirloin steak, grilled red meats, or something robust to balance its richness. With just 200 cases produced, secure your case and make room in the cellar, where it can be happily retrieved to be enjoyed over the next decade.
Rated 94 Points and the second best 2017 Durif in all of Australia by Huon Hooke at The Real Review.
Limited Time Deal: With only a handful of cases remaining of the 2017 vintage grab the special deal below while stocks last.
Buy Five Bottles of The Giant 2017 Durif and get one BONUS bottle of the yet to be released Giant 2018 Durif at no cost (Gold Medal - Small Vigneron Awards).
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From its origins as a grape bred for disease resistance to its rise to prominence in California and Australia, Durif has carved a path of distinction.
From California to Rutherglen and beyond now to the Barossa, its velvety texture, dark fruit flavors, and hints of pepper leave a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to experience it.
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© 2024 Atze's Corner Wines. (SA) Pty Ltd ABN 79116973025 endorses that wine is consumed responsibly and in moderation. Alcohol cannot be sold, passed on or supplied to persons under the age of 18, Atze's Corner Wines, Direct Sales license No. 51402483 and Producers licence no. 50820387, Lot 2 Section 134 Research Rd, Nuriootpa, SA, 5355, is subject to laws of the liquor licensing Act 1997. Wine will not under any circumstances be left at an unattended premises and the delivery of the wine must be signed for by a person over the age of 18. Location 451 Research Road, Nuriootpa, South Australia.
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