Westend Estate Barrel Bandit Shiraz Durif 2017

Shiraz may be Australia’s flagship red variety but the much rarer Durif enjoys a cult following among lovers of impossibly dark and delicious wines. Put the two together and you have The Barrel Bandit. But what of the name? Popular winemaker Bill Calabria explains: “It was the 1960s when the ‘Barrel Bandit’ first appeared at Westend Estate. My dad Francesco couldn’t understand why barrels were disappearing from his cellar, until he caught me red handed. He was none too happy, but after tasting the wine I’d been making on the quiet in those barrels, he was dead impressed and I never looked back.” Five decades on, Bill’s still making wonderful reds like this fleshy, rich and spicy beauty, the perfect drop with hearty red meat dishes.