Torbreck Revisited
Last October I visited the Torbreck cellar door while tootling around the Barossa with a friend and drinking wine, as one must. We got to sample their entire list. I loved a lot of their wines and a bottle of Les Amis Grenache followed me home.
I was keen to revisit their wines (and yes, the Les Amis has already been drunk) and took the opportunity to attend a tasting in Sydney. Sadly, their flagship The Laird (Shiraz), RunRig (Shiraz) and Les Amis (Grenache) were not poured on the night; however, it meant that I was able to concentrate on the other nine wines presented.
Woodcutters Rose 2025
This light, very quaffable wine was made from 100% Mataro (aka Mouvedre or Monastrell), giving it some savoury back notes to support the typical Provencial strawberries and cream taste with lemon hints. While it was a dry wine, there was a touch of residual sugar (4 g/L) which gave it a rounder mouthfeel. As it opened up, notes of rosewater wafted into the nose. An enjoyable summer drink and good value.
Rating: Okay Price: AUD 25
Harris Vineyard Grenache 2022
This wine was served just before the Hillside Vineyard Grenache 2022 and was my favourite of the two wines. Initial notes of bright sweet red cherry and red currant presented themselves, along with red and black plum and a hint of a savoury element with herbaceous fresh French tarragon. As this wine had been aged in old, large foudres, any oak influence was very tamed. I went back for a second helping. This wine is not made every vintage and was not available for sale, including on their website – otherwise a bottle may have come home with me. I still prefer the Les Amis but strongly suspect that the two wines are from completely different price points.
Rating: Delish Price: N/A
The Factor Shiraz 2017
Done in a vertical tasting with the 2022 straight afterwards, The Factor Shiraz 2017 was my favourite wine of the night. It showed concentration and complexity with lots of tertiary notes. This wine was redolent of prunes, graphite (lead pencil shavings), dried fig, tar, raisins, tapenade, tomato stalk, and bay leaf. Well balanced with the tannins fully integrated.
Rating: Delish Price: AUD 190