The Connor Park vineyards were planted by industrialist Tom Connor in the 1960s, with a view to establishing a test site for the development of the automatic grape harvester. It was acquired by the Lougoons in the 1980s, a family of pastoralists who learned quickly about the synergy between grazing and winemaking. A small parcel of closely cosseted Durif vines at Lake Marmal near Bendigo, yields a precious harvest of world class Durif grapes. A powerful, opaque wine with sizeable tannin, countered by a palate of remarkable intensity and profound length.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN Ross and Robyn Lougoon divide their time between running a flock of 1800 merino sheep through dry and dusty paddocks, while growing premium dryland grapes to craft award winning wines. Livestock and vineyards are a perfect match, mutually compatible and holistic, an idyll for viticulture. Durif is all picked by hand, crushed and fermented while being hand plunged in open vats, adjacent to the sheep yards. Traditional vinification techniques are employed with the least possible human intervention. Upon completion, components are gently basket pressed into a selection of American oak barrels for a year's maturation. Only a few hundred cases of Connor Park Durif are produced each year.

Deep, bright crimson, you immediately know this is a serious wine. Intense black cherry and gunsmoke nose, raspberries and anise, olive and dried herb. The palate does not let you down, full bodied, intense black plum flavours and smokey oak, rich fruit dominates, supported by firm tannin structure and a veneer of background oak. A no brainer alongside char grilled steak.

$3599each $431DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Crafted from a single parcel of Durif at Block 2609 on Delves Farm, yields are low, the tiny berries are intense with flavour and wrapped in ripe juicy tannins. Grapes are de stemmed and inoculated, plunged thrice daily over a week of ferments, pressed and settled into seasoned French oak barrels for fifteen months maturation. A mouthfilling wine of black cherry and blood plum characters, dark chocolates and spice, full bodied and seductive, its structured Durif tannins in support of a mouth filling, savoury fruit driven palate, defined by its linearity, persistence and drive.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$3799each $455DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Carlo Monichino grew up among the illustrious old vineyards of Asti in Piedmonte. He migrated to Australia 1949 and planted his own rootstock at Katunga in the Goulburn Valley 1962. Carlo's fascination with the opulent styles of Rutherglen delivered him the prestigious Chris Killeen Trophy and a precious block of the most exquisite Durif vines. Treated to the wonderful old world regimens of hand plunging and open ferments, Monichino age their Durif in nothing but the finest, exclusively new French and American oak for a luxurious eighteen months.

$2999each $357DOZEN EACH DOZEN

George Francis Morris established a small vineyard in 1859, just two miles east of the current Mia Mia Morris family wineworks. A Rutherglen specialty, Durif is a characteristically big wine, originally imported from Hermitage by Victoria's legendary viticulturalist Francois de Castella circa 1908. A totally edifying drink to acccompany ripe, tasty cheeses or char flamed grills, heaven sent for rare sirloin, the perfect match to venison and gourmandise game.

$2499each $299DOZEN EACH DOZEN The finest parcels of Rutherglan Durif are harvested and crushed into open fermenters. The small berries yield a great concentration of flavours with high alcohol, dark colour and soft tannins, making a style of wine that's renowned for structure and longevity. Vinification is controlled, initially at cooler temperatures to maintain fresh varietal fruit characters, gradually rising to warmer temperatures, for optimal extractions of good colour and fine tannins. After several days of open ferments, batches are pressed into an equal balance of seasoned and new, American and French oak hogsheads for completion of malolactic and two years maturation before the final assemblage.

Deep brickish red with purple hues. Lifted fresh aromas of ripe blackcurrant and spicy fruits, complexed by a subtle influence of cedar. Rich, supple, concentrated berry flavours integrated with fruit and oak tannins, a very good length of flavour.

The first Morris of Rutherglen Durif vines were planted in the 1920s but it was not until the fourth generation that Charles Henry Morris, Mick to his mates, released a pure Durif varietal wine under the pseudonym Claret in 1954. Mick was the first family vigneron to be university educated, his legacy endures as Morris of Rutherglen’s flagship red, a true icon of Australian wine. Brimming with dark blue fruit and soft gentle spice, CHM is rich and full bodied, seductive with concentrated berry flavours over plush oak tannins and lingering finish.

$5599each $671DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Rutherglen is possibly the only productive enclave of world class Durif wines anywhere on earth. It also yields a quality of Shiraz that's unique in the world of wine, by virtue of the region's phyloxera and quarantine of vines. The Morris family have been making wine at Rutherglen since 1859. Within thirty years of establishment, their flourishing operations had made Morris the largest wine producer in the southern hemisphere. Introductions aside, Morris make an effervescent red wine of remarkable intensity, profound richness and sheer class.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN Morris draw upon barrels of maturing stock from across several vintages to assemble a generously flavoured yet brilliantly integrated red wine, before initiating a secondary bottle fermentation and liqueur doseage. Historically Shiraz has been the variety used in Australian sparkling reds, but by adding components of the world renowned Rutherglen Durif, extra complexity and balance has been imparted to the flavour. A range of older vintages are balanced against younger wines, which are used to provide the fruit lift. After assembling all components, the wine is bottled with an addition of Rutherglen yeast and allowed twelve to eighteen months contact before disgorging and resealing under tirage.

Crimson, a generous purple mousse. Rich fruit bouquets, Shiraz spice, yeast complexity and a hint of oak maturation. Rich and full flavoured palate, plum and blackberry and fruit jam flavours, chocolates and dusty carob over gentle, soft tannins. The powerful flavours linger long, complex and rich, a strawberry tang and licorice spice balance the excellent sweetness.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN

RED is made for real red wine enthusiasts, a mouthfilling peppery Shiraz wine with a component of Durif. Rutherglen has the soils and climate to ripen fruit evenly and completely, allowing the development of engrossing complexities. Rutherglen is in a declared phylloxera quarantine, which means all the grapes grown within the region have to be vinified locally, itself a guarantee of quality. Crafted to encourage the development of bright, fresh berry flavours and juicy tannins which complement the complexity of exciting barrel ferment characters.

$1699each $203DOZEN EACH DOZEN Rutherglen Estates was born after an extensive search for the area most suitable to produce an innovative range of wines. The region has been made famous globally for producing big jucy reds, and especially for its precious parcels of world class Durif. Recognising and harnessing the region's enormous potential, Rutherglen Estates has now established an international reputation for producing quality wine from some of the most distinguished old vines in Australia. Following the harvest, grapes are chilled and soaked forty eight hours prior to inoculation with spicy yeast cultures. Batches are separately matured up to nine months under a combination of French and American oaks before assemblage. Alcohol 14.5%

In true Rutherglen style, a wonderful depth of colour, to state the obvious - it is RED! Fine aromas, peppery, berries and brambles, intense spice. Palate follows through with the pepper and spice of Rutherglen Shiraz and a background of rich Durif, which contributes the blackberry fruit, licorice, aniseed and chocolate characters, as well as firming the tannins for a complete red wine.

$3499each $417DOZEN EACH DOZEN

One of Australia's finest examples of the abstruse hybrid grape, the progeny of a matrimony, Peloursin & Shiraz, grown to one of the world's most exclusive appellations, crafted by one of Australia's most capable custodians of Durif. A history of phyloxera has served to quarantine the vines and preserve the sacred old rootstock. Rutherglen is fortuitously endowed with the most precious productive parcels of Durif anywhere in the world. A meaty, toothsome wine of dense loganberry fruit flavours, dusky pastille and mouthcoating bitter chocolate tannins.

$3799each $455DOZEN EACH DOZEN Rutherglen has gained a reputation for full bodied dry reds with singular ageing potential. The Stanton & Killeen property sprawls over a roll of picturesque, gently undulating farm country. It is the local history and traditions that make Stanton & Killeen central to the history of Rutherglen and development of winemaking in Australia. Some of the original vineyards planted by Jack Stanton in 1921 are still in production and yield some of the finest fruit in the district. Norman Killeen married Jack's daughter and joined in the family business to establish Stanton and Killeen. A harvest of Rutherglen's finest Durif is vinified and aged fifteen months in a combination of new and prior use French and American oak barrels.

Dark scarlet colour. A strong varietal bouquet displaying hints of violet, cinnamon and cloves with a mix of crushed dark berries. The full bodied palate shows great appeal with spicy fruit flavours including berries and plums which are rounded out with some clean toasty oak. An outstanding balance of fruit, acid and tannin structure.