Torbreck

Co-fermented with a splash of Viognier, the 2007 Run Rig gives a very deep garnet-purple color and a perfumed nose of warm cassis, crushed blackberries and blueberries over anise, cassia, cloves, tea leaves, rose hips plus earthy hints of black truffles and tilled loam. The full-bodied palate offers rich, ripe but not over-ripe fruit with a taut structure of firm grainy tannins and crisp acid, finishing very long with a gamey / savory character coming through with some cedar and baking spices.

Not a man known for his modesty, David Powell was notably less humble than usual during my recent visit. That overly confident smirk that he wears when he’s about to reveal a winning hand has no doubt incited more than a few barroom riots. It was only human nature that I was subconsciously willing his current releases to be even a little underwhelming. And I almost wish I could tell you they were. If his demeanor can at times be enough to set bloods boiling, before I get to the tasting notes I’ll inject a few words about what does impress me about Powell.

He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what happens in his vineyards, perhaps more so than in the winery. He has close relationships with his growers and calls the shots when it comes to vineyard management, recently telling me he had to end the contract with a grower of a fabulous vineyard of ancient vines this year because the grower simply refused to follow his instructions. The structures of his red wines particularly stand out to me.

Through developing an individual approach to tannin management and extracting a quality and texture of tannins that comes purely from grape skins that are carefully reared and harvested within a tight window of ripening, he creates some truly iconic reds…though even at the more modestly priced wines can age very gracefully. Finally Powell does not release wines that aren’t up to his high standards and as smug as he can be about his successes...
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate # 192 Dec 2010

The flagship 2004 Run Rig is 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier with the Shiraz component aged for 30 months in a mixture of new and used French oak. Yields were a minuscule 14 hl/ha (about 1 ton per acre). Saturated opaque purple/black, it has a remarkably kinky, exotic perfume of fresh asphalt, pencil lead, smoke, pepper, game, blueberry and black raspberry. Full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the wine is dense and packed, with amazing purity, sweet tannins, and a complex collection of sensory stimuli. The wine demands 10 years of cellaring.

Torbreck, under the leadership of owner/winemaker David Powell, remains a Barossa Valley benchmark as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates. The top cuvees are limited production and expensive but there are also some outstanding values in the portfolio. With regard to the current vintages for the Barossa red wines, David Powell states “? 2004 is more savory while 2005 has more purity and definition. 2004 is more classic, 2005 will take longer to come around.
Jay Miller - Wine Advocate #173 Oct 2007 

During our tastings Factor is often placed as a natural complement to Descendent; as Descendent includes a little Viognier whereas Factor does not. This year, however, I feel there is much more in common between Factor, and dare I say it, Run Rig. 

The palate is extraordinary supple, there are immediate waves of pure fruit washing over the palate but in this 2013 there seems to be a greater focus and freshness than I have seen in Torbreck wines in the past. On the palate, there is vast depth of fruit and structure, simply: it just keeps going. The finish is expertly judged and finely honed it leaves me feeling that this is a dark, brooding wine, there is something almost meaty, animalistic, on the verge of guttural. The outright purity & freshness means this will drink early, but patience will be rewarded, 2024-2035+.
Gary Owen, Private Account Manager

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 98.5% Shiraz and 1.5% Viognier.

Very serious Old Vine Shiraz (the oldest vines are over 100 years old), this is dark and pure with mineral laced black and blueberry fruit with notes of violets, anise, pepper and scorched earth.  Full bodied, layer upon layer of fruit but not overdone – the wizardry here to produce such a dense and opulent wine which somehow remains pacy, light on its feet; real finesse. Fine, silky tannin and crisp acidity. 
A few percent of the Viognier grape is added to the blend, lifting the aromatics and injecting even more vigour. A Runrig showing the power we expect with remarkable refinement. Drink 2019 – 2045+
Martyn Rolph, Sales Manager

Torbreck’s Les Amis exemplifies first-rate Barossa Grenache and 2013 was an exceptional vintage for Grenache. The fruit comes from very old vines, many of which are over 100 years old. Tiny yields and minute production has led to this intense, complex and elegant beauty.

A dense ruby red appearance swirls gracefully around the glass, exuding inviting aromas of plum and black cherry intertwined with soft smoked herbs and gentle spice. The palate is smooth, displaying juicy damson compote with hints of savoury complexity, sweet spice and wood smoke. Although extremely approachable now, this wine will continue to evolve wonderfully over the next 15 years or more.
Stephanie Barlow, Private Account Manager

Torbreck see this as the most Barossa wine they produce – they’re not wrong in 2010 either. The nose of this wonderful wine strikes you immediately as very fine, very serious Australian Shiraz. This density, complexity and purity of the dark and brooding fruit is that which can only come from meticulously tended, old vines and assured, hands-off winemaking. Wines of this quality from the Barossa can be drunk young, but I would implore any buyer to cellar for this for a decade as I am sure it will evolve into one of the great Torbreck wines. Only question is, bottles, magnums or bigger?
Gary Owen, Private Account Manager

The 2013 Steading is composed from the traditional Barossa cultivars of Grenache, Shiraz & Mataro.  It has long been David Powell’s favourite wine within the Torbreck stable because of the old, gnarled ‘bush vines’ that are at the heart of this wine.
 
First produced in 1995, The Steading has remained an integral cuvee of Torbreck’s range. Old vine Grenache makes up 60% of the blend, combining with Mataro and Shiraz; delivering a complex, suave character to the wine. Flavours of dried raspberry and kirsch meet the palate instantly with a flourishing herbal backdrop of dried fennel and Asian spices. Softly textured, seamlessly balanced with fine silky tannins, there’s a lovely tension underneath which retains a coil for the wine to gather further complexity with a little ageing. Approachable now, although I would look to enjoy from 2019 – 2024 to enjoy at its best.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager 

Proprietor Dave Powell is aiming here to illustrate what can be achieved using fruit from slightly cooler sites within the region, so The Struie is made from 100% Shiraz from the Barossa and Eden Valleys in South Australia, and aged for 18 months in French oak, 20% new. The colour is dense, opaque blue-black; the bouquet is a fascinating combination of sweet berry fruit, blackberry and cassis, with the herbal, smoked bacon, well-hung game elements more reminiscent of the Northern Rhone in France. On the palate the wine is dense but far from monolothic, with layers of flavour and a very fine-grained tannic structure. A few years in bottle will only help it develop a wider range of flavours but it can be enjoyed already because of its rich, smooth texture and rewarding presence in the mouth. Drink with robust red meat dishes.

The Steading cuvee is the backbone of the portfolio according to Torbreck; this wine is what they are all about. Using a combination of younger vines and some over a century old provides stunning complexity of fruit and structure. This is the same blend as Cuvée Juveniles but has much more “bang for buck”. Raspberries and spice abound all the way from the explosive start to the seductive finish.
Mark Ross, Fine Wine Commercial Manager

From the higher altitude vineyards of the Eden Valley comes this 100% Shiraz wine in a slightly different style than the rest of the Torbreck range. This is a much more taut, focused wine – still with plenty of fruit but a little more “marshaled’. The house style of elegance and freshness is still obvious though, as is the staggering complexity – you really will struggle to find a more complex Australian wine anywhere near this price. This is hugely impressive.
(Mark Ross, Fine Wine Commercial Manager)

Our initial tasting note contains the word ‘incredible’ four times – normally that might be seen as overdoing it, but it probably does stack up in the case of this wine. 97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier taken from vines between 120 and 160 years old, the stage is set for a very special experience. Often favourably tasted alongside great Rhône wines, specifically the more serious single-vineyard Côte-Rôties, this has a very exotic nose with layer upon layer of nuance, and an enormous (but not overdone) mouthfeel.

This wine too is 100% Shiraz and it is the undoubted show-stopper of the range. A more expressive wine would be hard to find from anywhere in the globe: The Factor exhibits a massive body of fruit (cherries, blueberries, everything) that is held together by a firm but seamlessly integrated tannic structure. The finish lasts for almost a full minute and is intense from beginning to end. This wine simply has to give the more famous Australian super-wines a serious run for their money.
(Mark Ross, Fine Wine Commercial Manager)

The Factor is Torbreck’s “hommage” to the great old Shiraz vines of the Barossa Valley. This is a big, brooding wine that will keep exceptionally well. Sourced from small parcels of old vine fruit across the Barossa, this is brimming with dark, spicy fruit. Black pepper, damson and a bacon fat note stand out on both the nose and palate. The framework is impressive in both size and refinement. Undeniable a big wine, this is beautifully balances and the tannins meld into the wine perfectly. Very primary now, this will gain a savoury aspect over years of cellaring. Another triumph for Torbreck, this is Barossa at its best. 2020 - 2025
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

According to Robert Parker, “Torbreck remains a Barossa Valley benchmark, as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates.” The wines of Torbreck have a very strong Berry Bros. & Rudd staff following. We whole heartedly agree with Robert Parker (above) and Neal Martin when he says “….this is one of my favourite Australian wines, big and bold like many others, but each wine imbued with its own individuality.”

Torbreck is one of the most iconic estates in Australia and they craft a large yet quality-driven portfolio ranging from the deliciously dry Steading blanc and juicy Cotes du Rhone styled “Cuvee Juveniles” to the vinous colossi that are “RunRig” and “The Laird”. Balance is the key to these wines. This is a quality that often eludes the wines from hotter regions such as the Barossa Valley. With only good soil and middle age vines it is easy to make blockbuster reds in the Barossa; what is very difficult is to make wines with power combined with balance, lift and purity that comes with the very best old vines. It is this balance of power and purity that is the hallmark of Torbreck wines and, quite simply, this is why we like them so much. All the wines are impressive, and the estate deserves all the praise it gets.

2009 proved to be a stunning vintage for Torbreck and this RunRig promises to be one of the best we have ever made. The growing season was ideal during flowering and fruit set and some shatter in the shiraz restricted yields in some of our key blocks. A heat wave in late January and early February was followed by perfectly mild and dry conditions, allowing the vines to recover and the fruit to ripen slowly. Through this period we were patient allowing us to pick our old vine RunRig parcels when they were flawlessly ripe.

These factors culminated in the development of some incredible aromatics in the wine, so much so that we decided the Shiraz in 2009 did not require its usual addition of Viognier. The tannin structure is beautiful and the wine flows effortlessly from wonderful perfume to a lithe, dense and complex palate. This wine will prove to be one of the truly great RunRigs.
(Torbreck Vintners)

Lovely notes of earthy, ripe red berry fruit. The palate is rich and svelte, full of red currant fruit, yet juicy and flowing with a great crunch of acidity. A really good drinking red, rich and yet with lots of lift.
Stuart Rae, Private Account manager

A single vineyard planted in 1994 with cuttings from old RinRig vines (hence the Descendant) – some of the oldest genetic material in Australia. This is Barossa’s first co-fermented Shiraz/Viognier – the Shiraz is crushed directly on top of lightly pressed Viognier, fermented then matured for eighteen months in barrels previously used for RunRig.

Deep red clay soils give the wine a savoury edge and a rich texture, with silk-like mouthfeel. This will age impeccably well for those that have the patience.

The Gask is sourced from a single plot of painstakingly nurtured Shiraz nestled into the eastern slope of Mount McKenzie. Planted in 1960, this elevated site yields small, intense berries that possess great intensity of flavour without sacrificing balance & poise. After hand harvesting in early April this small batch was destemmed into two cement vats where it spent seven days before being ‘gravity-drained’ and basket pressed. The juice was later racked into old French barriques where it completed a slow malo-lactic fermentation and was aged for a total of 18 months. As with all Torbreck wines wines, it was bottled without the use of fining or filtration.

The Struie is a blend of 44 year old Eden Valley Shiraz vines and 80 year old Barossa Shiraz, the former giving lift and acidity, the latter richness and weight.

Subtle, beguiling blackberry fruit on the bouquet. Very dark, dense and spicy, classy fruit on the palate, quite savoury with saline notes on the long, fine finish. Very good balance over-all with well-judged acidity and ripe tannins. This is definitely one to put away for a few years to enjoy it at its best.
Chris Pollington, Fine Wine Manager

RunRig has often drawn comparison with the beautifully fragrant & tautly structured wines produced from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie.  A beautiful and flawless blend of 97.5% Shiraz and 2.5% Viognier.
 
A brooding darkness of morello cherry, blackberry fruits, spiced apricots and olive tapenade on the nose gives a hint at the serious beast of a wine we are about to encounter.  The palate is powerful with a huge mid palate of taught tannins and acidity, perfectly matched by a rich core of fruit, dark chocolate and espresso.  A beguiling, multi-faceted wine. One for the long haul, drink 2018 – 2030.
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Manager
 
For me, the finest wine of Torbreck and one of the most impressive New World wines you could ever hope to taste. There’s a dash of Viognier here to enliven and lift the aromatics, but it’s the old vine Shiraz driven rich, black fruit characters, chocolate, liquorice and spice notes which set the tone. Layer after layer, this is super charged but somehow a sense of precision and finesse remains. The real joy of the great Torbreck wines is the marriage of texture and big dark flavours with a refinement, balance and poise rarely seen in the Barossa.
Martyn Rolph, Fine Wine Manager

This single vineyard wine, located next to the winery. Planted by Dave Powell in 1994 with cuttings of old Run Rig vineyards - some of the oldest genetic material in Australia and the World. A blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier. Impenetrable, opaque core.

This stands out from Torbreck’s other 2012s in that it has a more singularly fruit focused nose of sweet, rich, dark plum and cherry and some attractive stewed notes in the background. A velvety smooth cloak of chocolate and vanilla hides an almost minty freshness beneath but this is about as close as one can get to Black Forest Gateau in a glass. A decadently delicious Descendant. 2018 – 2025+
Peter Newton, Private Account Manager

According to Robert Parker, “Torbreck remains a Barossa Valley benchmark, as well as one of the world’s greatest wine estates.” The wines of Torbreck have a very strong Berry Bros. & Rudd staff following. We whole heartedly agree with Robert Parker (above) and Neal Martin when he says “….this is one of my favourite Australian wines, big and bold like many others, but each wine imbued with its own individuality.”

Torbreck is one of the most iconic estates in Australia and they craft a large yet quality-driven portfolio ranging from the deliciously dry Steading blanc and juicy Cotes du Rhone styled “Cuvee Juveniles” to the vinous colossi that are “RunRig” and “The Laird”. Balance is the key to these wines. This is a quality that often eludes the wines from hotter regions such as the Barossa Valley. With only good soil and middle age vines it is easy to make blockbuster reds in the Barossa; what is very difficult is to make wines with power combined with balance, lift and purity that comes with the very best old vines. It is this balance of power and purity that is the hallmark of Torbreck wines and, quite simply, this is why we like them so much. All the wines are impressive, and the estate deserves all the praise it gets.

Traditionally one of my favourite wines in the Torbreck stable, I’m pleased to say this comes good again in 2011. The blend of Eden & Barrosa Valley fruit is taut and lively with dark raspberry and subtle blackcurrant flavours initially but which develop in the mid-palate into something rather darker – black pepper, dark olive tapenade and very fine, elegant tannins. Drinking slightly sooner than the 2010 perhaps.
Gary Owen, Private Account Manager

The name ‘Woodcutter's’ originates from when David Powell spent several years working in the Scottish Highlands as a lumberjack in the Torbreck forest.
 
At just over £10 a bottle this should be must buy. The black fruits and pepper notes delivers surprising depth and concentration for its 'level'. There is a small presence of tannins suggesting that it’ll age well over the next 5 years. Surely this is the perfect BBQ wine to buy now and enjoy over the nex few years up to the 2021 Ashes series!
Hugo Thompson, Private Account Manager