This is some black-ass purple grainy shit, man. Completely impenetrable in the glass, a nose slow and dull in showing any sort of beauty–decanted heavily. Nice to see “Durif” on a label outside Wagner-Suisun–a true nod to the pre-historic edges of wine-production. Concentrated leathery bouquet gradually exposes itself, but mono-characteristic and flat. You can SMELL the vitality, but it doesn’t really express itself as much as one hopes: tiny bits of burnt floral and flat-lined cherry compote require reaches of imagination.

It smells better than it tastes. There’s literally no fruit here. Nothing. Try as I may, nothing developes beyond dull concentration and raspy body of what #winebro would call “huge”. But huge doesn’t cut it on this page–you’ve got to have something more to offer. All the condensed swill and black concentration and alcoholic, tannic-infused chewiness does nothing to sway an intelligent palate. There’s no fruit. Light, sudsy cherry pokes around a bit at the edges–acid grasping and grating–and… nothing… else. A forgettable wine on all counts, and though Petite Sirah fans will object to this harshness in the face of massitivity, there’s nothing here to see. These wines will age indefinitely, and tertiary compounds will compound themselves, but it’s all structure polishing, without the blessing of fruit. It’s not a terrible wine… I just need something more than steroids to smell and taste. It’s got 15 years to go, but what will you have?

2014 CALABRIA ‘Three Bridges’ Durif Barossa Australia 14.5

www.calabriawines.com.au/