CALABRIA THREE BRIDGES DURIF 2018

Gold Medal – Vinalies International Wine Show France
Gold Medal – China Wine & Spirit Awards

Just landed – We only get a couple of shipments of this wine a year and they usually sell out quite quickly.

Over the last few years this wine from the Riverina region of Australia, has picked up an almost cult following. It is big, bold, powerful and intensely concentrated, with brooding aromas of black fruits and dark chocolate. The palate is definitely on the rich and weighty side, but not over-the-top, with the tannins and dusty oak balancing the fruit and alcohol nicely.

Winery notes (2018 Vintage)
"An aromatic blood plum and blackberry nose with an array of violets, mocha and vanillin. An intense, full bodied palate of plums, mulberries and violets, complemented by American oak sweetness, and an elegant tannin structure of support and power.

Fermented in open top concrete 10 tonne fermenters, thoroughly plunged twice each day throughout a slow fermentation lasting 7 – 8 days. Pressed to stainless storage, where the wine completes primary and malo-lactic fermentation. Racked and transferred to a blend of 90% American oak and 10% French oak Hogsheads & Barriques, to mature for 12 months.

Durif is a red wine originally sourced from France. The berries produced are small and concentrated and performs best in warm, sunny areas and that is why Calabria Wines has so much success with it. The wine produced is full flavoured with intense colour & high tannins & will age well."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

92/100 Toni Paterson MW, The Real Review, June 2019 (2017 Vintage)
"If you love durif you will find this a most excellent and satisfying example. Yes, it is a big wine, but what sets it apart from the pack is its brightness. It is laden with boysenberry and mulberry flavours, with oak adding accents of vanilla and spice. It is full in body, but not syrupy or viscous in any way. The tannins have been managed beautifully."

5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, February 2018 (2016 Vintage)
"Powerful and gloriously fruited, the bouquet shows blackberry jam, blueberry, vanilla, cedar and chocolate tart characters, leading to a concentrated palate that is plush and opulent. The wine is dense and velvety, and offers terrific drinking. At its best: now to 2024."