BV WR Durif Riverina

Established by Bob and Cherie Berton in May 1996, Berton Vineyard is one of Hallgarten's
most important partners.  The estate covers 30 hectares of land located on gently rolling
hills at 450 metres above sea level, in a subregion of Eden Valley in South Australia. The
superb Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay wines are still sourced from this plot. In
2007, Bob purchased the Yenda winery in the heart of the Riverina. This state-of- the-art
facility has the capacity to process 20,000 tonnes and enables Berton Vineyard to
produce value for money wines which sit alongside their premium single vineyard offerings.
Vineyard
Durif is a cross between Syrah and little known variety called Peloursin and is sometimes
known as Petite Sirah. This parcel of Durif has been chosen from a single vineyard, the
‘Foleys Corner Vineyard’, which overlooks Griffith in the Riverina, New South Wales. Durif is
well suited to the climate of the Riverina region, which is hot and dry. The vineyard is on a
slope with a westerly aspect and the soil is sandy loam. The vineyard rows face east to
west direction. The vines are on a single wire trellis, spur pruned and drip irrigated. The
grapes are machine harvested once they have reached the optimum maturity level.
Winemaking
The fruit was destemmed, crushed and fermented with premium untoasted oak influence
in static fermenters for five days, optimising colour stability and a fine tannin structure. The
wine was drained, pressed and stored in stainless steel tanks until malolactic conversion
was complete. It was then filtered onto French oak and matured for approximately four
months, giving a subtle and delicate oak influence. Maturation lasted a further six months
in tank, prior to crossflow filtration and bottling.
Tasting Note
Intense aromas of violets, blackberry and subtle chocolate notes are showcased in this
inky, dark Durif. Notes of blackberry, anise and smoky liquorice fill the concentrated
palate, while the well-integrated mocha-oak influence and tight tannins add complexity
and depth, through to a long, flavoursome finish