Making wine in the Barossa Valley means a winemaker wants to work with Shiraz. Still, you commence with plenty of other ideas and one of Glugs was a liking for Durif. This arose from tasting Rutherglen Durif in the 1970s and experiencing the bountiful flavours of Durif from Griffith in the 1990s.
Historically Durif appeared from a cross of Shiraz with Peloursin, the latter being a scarce French variety which lost favour long ago. The first record of Durif’s existence is from 1868 where it was recorded in the plant nursery of Francois Durif. It was brought to Rutherglen from the south of France in 1908 by the eminent viticulturist Francois de Castella being one of the varieties reintroduced after many Victorian vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera. While not common in the Barossa plantings have increased since the 1990s.
Blending Shiraz with Durif for Brutus is then hardly revolutionary since the varieties have a close affinity. Yet Durif in a warm region like the Barossa valley lifts to another dimension. All the Brutus wines recorded an alcohol level between 15%-16% with the 2018 being 15.4%. So expect a wine with ample flavour on the larger size.
