‘Rare’ wine hits shelf

FOURTH generation vigneron Leeanne PuglisiGangemi watched her father plant a Durif vine on their estate in a romantic gesture to her mother.

Thirteen years later, having defied the odds of bushfires, the vine has now produced one of Ballandean Estate’s rarest alternative wines – the 2018 vintage single-vineyard Durif.

“What makes this wine unique is its vibrant and sophisticated cool climate expression, lean and fresh with intense acidity, a gorgeous inky purple with a crimson meniscus in the glass,” she said.

“Also known as ‘Petite Syrah’ in France, California and Israel, Durif originates in France’s Rhone Valley, and is renowned for its late ripening massive tannins, superb cellaring potential and ability to handle oak.”

The Durif vines were planted on the slopes of the Ballandean Estate, 850m above sea level. The wine hit shelves on August 28, and sells for $42.