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2025 CCCLXV Durif

$34.00

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 naturally one of the darkest and most structurally powerful grape varieties in the world.  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.

Crushed to fermenter March 12, 2025. Drained and pressed March 26, 2026.

104 in stock

Colour:
2025 CCCLXV Durif is dense, inky black in colour.

Aroma:
The aroma immediately signals a powerful wine. Layers of blackberry conserve, trifle, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, licorice, ripe plums and dark chocolate emerge from the glass, complemented by subtle hints of rustic earth.

Palate:
The palate is rich and full-bodied, overflowing with opulent dark berry and plum fruits. Robust natural tannins provide structure and definition, perfectly balancing the sheer depth and generosity of fruit, while soft, balanced acidity adds freshness and support. A solid backbone carries the wine effortlessly, with plush fruit intensity lingering throughout. The finish is long, bold and deeply fruit-driven, echoing the richness from the first sip.

Recommended Drinking:
n excellent example of pure varietal expression, this generous and powerful Durif drinks beautifully now, yet will reward careful cellaring over the next 10–20 years.

The Durif was harvested on March 12th and crushed into an open-top fermenter.  Wild yeast from the vineyard were left to naturally ferment with the ferment temperature reaching 30 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 365 days after which the free-run was drained and the skins were pressed into the same tank.  After settling the wine was racked and then bottled with no oak maturation

The 2025 vintage has delivered wines of exceptional quality, destined to rank among the finest.  This warm and dry year was punctuated by significant growing season frosts, with rainfall from Winter through Summer reaching only two-thirds of the average. Two major frosts in September set the tone for a challenging yet rewarding season. Spring temperatures were 1 degree above average, while Summer was 2 degrees higher. The combination of warmth, dry conditions, and lower yields resulted in the earliest start and finish to vintage since our winemaking journey began in 2002. These steady ripening conditions ensured the vines remained healthy, producing grapes of outstanding quality and the resultant 2025 wines stand firmly in the upper echelon.

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.

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