Duras is a traditional French variety of red wine grape that is mostly grown around the river Tarn, northeast of Toulouse. It is usually blended with other traditional varieties, but production has been declining in recent years.
Despite the name the grape appears to have no connection with the Côtes de Duras east of Bordeaux, and is not grown there today.J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 205 Mitchell Beazley 1986 Nor is there any known link with the Durasa of Piedmont.
History Viticulture came to the Tarn with the Romans, but little is known of the history of Duras.
DNA fingerprinting has recently suggested that with Petit Verdot from Bordeaux, it is a parent of the Tressot variety.Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Tressot Noir , accessed on December 15, 2009
Distribution and Wines Duras is only really found in the upper reaches of the Tarn, in Gaillac, the Côtes de Millau and the Vins d'Estaing north of Rodez. It makes robust red wines with a peppery note that are typically blended with other traditional varieties such as Fer and Négrette.
Vine and Viticulture The vine is susceptible to oidium and black rot with a tendency to bud early.
Synonyms Cabernet Duras, Durade, Duras Femelle, Duras Male, Duras Rouge, Durasca, Duraze
See also Tannat Malbec
References
Further reading Robinson, Jancis (2006) The Oxford Companion to Wine, third edition, OUP
External links VIVC Bibliography