Colour
Lustrous purple-red.
Nose
Altogether different – varietally correct, without exaggeration or artefact.
Black olive, mulberry leaf and loganberry/boysenberry fruits arch above, unencumbered by any intrusion of oak.
An unfamilial dustiness infused with malt, and wafts of wild black Basmati rice instantly remind of a varietal point-of-difference.
Palate
Plush and mouth filling, with a beguiling satin texture.
Glossy and finely polished (gemstone- like)… the emery-board tannins of the inaugural 2013 Durif release re-appear!
A sweet-berried (mulberry?) mid-palate tussles with a sour cherry/persimmon/cumquat ‘bite’ on the finish. Intriguing.
Youthful, with presence.