Campbell’s, Rutherglen Durif, Rutherglen, Australia 2016
100% Durif (Petite Sirah)
DENSE CURRANT & BLACKBERRY, TOASTED VANILLA, PEPPERCORN MEDLY
The story of Durif aka Petite Sirah can be traced back to the 60s – the 1860s, that is – when Syrah spontaneously crossed with a grape that most of us have never heard of called Peloursin. The resultant variety is conducive to inky, muscular reds filled with spice and often evoking comparisons to pappy Syrah as well as Zinfandel and Grenache. Cuttings of the original clonal selection were brought to Australia in the first decade of the 20th century (following all-too-familiar devastation at the hands of the Phylloxera aphid) and have been thriving in the appropriately arid Ruthrglen region ever since. Campbells has recently celebrated a century-and-a-half under vine, and their Durifs are delicious splash of history.
Serving Suggestion: Griddled, whiskey-glazed steak & geen beans sautéed w/ diced apples & hickory-smoked bacon. Savory plantain hashbrowns w/ diced scallions & garlic.
