Description
SOLD OUT – Next vintage release in May 2024
CCCLXV: the Roman numeral CCCLXV corresponds to Arabic number 365. CCCLXV = 365.
CCCLXV Durif… a wine of the utmost power displaying the heightened intensity that a protracted 365 days on skins gives to this naturally concentrated and intense variety.
Durif is a naturally dark, intense, tannic variety producing deep, full-bodied wines. When made in the ‘traditional’ way of 7-14 days on skins followed by maturation in oak barrel it delivers a superb immensely full-bodied drink that is often described as ‘Shiraz on steroids’.
CCCLXV Durif 365 takes this a step further. By leaving the wine on skins for an entire year and not maturing it in any oak, the result is an even more concentrated, powerful and thick inky wine. It proclaims all that Durif has to give, allowing the flavour, colour and tannin generosity of the skins to entirely egress into the wine. By bottling after pressing with no barrel maturation, there is no oak intrusion, truly allowing for the Durif grape to shine in its absolute largesse.
This 2022 vintage is the 6th release of CCCLXV Durif 365. The 2022 is a hefty wine in all respects, weighing in at 16.5% alcohol, it is not for the faint hearted.
Growing Season
The 2022 vintage was excellent. Winter was significantly wetter than average getting the vines off to a brilliant start leading into Spring which was cool with median rainfall. Summer was mild and dry apart from rain on the last day. Autumn remained mild with generally perfect mid-20s weather combined with cool nights ensuring steady even ripening across all varieties. The 2022 yields were good and the quality is great, a classic Barossa vintage displaying rich flavours with fine balance.
Vineyard
CCCLXV Durif 365 is sourced from a single vineyard on the Kalleske property. The hand-pruned vines are low-yielding and are grown in shallow, sandy loam soil over superb deep red clay, providing ideal conditions for Durif.
Winemaking
The Durif was harvested on April 4th and crushed into an open-top fermenter. Wild yeast from the vineyard were left to naturally ferment with the ferment temperature reaching 28 degrees C. Hand-pumpovers were employed twice daily during the fermentation. After the alcoholic fermentation, native malolactic bacteria fermented the natural malic acid into lactic acid. The wine remained in contact with submerged skins in a sealed vessel for exactly 365 days. On March April 4th 2023, the free-run was drained into a tank and then the skins were gently pressed with pressings blended into the same tank. After settling the wine was racked and then bottled with no oak maturation.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Intense midnight black, purple rim.
Aroma:
Lifted, rich vivid vintage aromatics. Jubes, blackberry jam, violets, raspberry, clove spice, brandied fruit cake, VP, sarsaparilla spider.
Palate:
Immensely rich, full-bodied. Black, purple fruits. Strong natural tannins, robust structure, drying counterbalance. Pseudo-oak complexity, nutty cocoa character. Almost-endless finish. Audacious.
Recommended Drinking:
Drink now – 20 years.