Durif

Durif is a

In the 1860s the French botanist François Durif kept a nursery of several grape varieties at his home in the commune of Tullins where he most likely had plantings of both Peloursin and Syrah. At some point the two vines cross pollinated and Durif discovered a new grape variety growing in his nursery. It was identified and named Plant du Rif (later Durif) by ampelographer Victor Pulliat in 1868.^[2]

As a conclusion of

Australia and California are now the two leading producers of Durif. The grape can also be found in Israel,^[5] Brazil, Argentina,Texas, Chile, and Mexico.^[6]

Australia

Confirmed as recently as 1997, old plantings of Durif continued to be used to produce popular wine in the

As of December 2007, the TTB lists both Petite Sirah and Durif in 27 CFR § 4.91 as approved grape varieties for American wines, but they are not listed as synonyms.^[9] This means that U.S. producers can produce Durif wine, but not label it as Petite Sirah, and vice versa.^[10] The ATF proposed that they be recognised as synonyms in Notice of Proposed Rulemaking No. 941, published in the Federal Register on 10 April 2002, but a decision on RIN 1513–AA32 (formerly RIN 1512-AC65)^[11] appears to be postponed indefinitely, probably because the new regulation is tied up in the trade dispute that would see the TTB recognise Primitivo as a synonym for Zinfandel.^[12]

While not one of the officially sanctioned grapes of the Côtes du Rhône AOC, Petite Sirah's linking to Durif caused the California's Rhone Rangers to add the grape to its listings of wine in 2002.^[13]

Israel

In

The "petite" in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The leaves are large, with a bright green upper surface and paler green lower surface. The grape forms tightly packed clusters that can be susceptible to

In the 20th century, ampelographers Louis Levadoux and (decades later) Linda Bisson categorized Durif as a member of the Pelorsien eco-geogroup along with Bia blanc, Béclan, Dureza, Exbrayat, Jacquère, Joubertin, Mondeuse blanche, Peloursin, Servanin and Verdesse.^[2]

Wine

Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are relatively acidic, with firm texture and mouth feel; the aroma has herbal and black pepper overtones, and typically offers flavors of blue fruit, black fruit, plums, and especially blueberries.^[15]The wines are very tannic, with aging ability that can exceed 20 years in the bottle.^[14] Petite Sirah can sometimes be rather "short", that is, the flavor does not linger in the mouth, hence the benefit of blending with another grape which may lack mid-palate depth, but adds length and elegance.

References