Torbreck
About Torbreck
Established in 1994 on the Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley in an appellation named Marananga, Torbreck is the brainchild of former lumberjack David Powell. A former lumberjack, he named the estate after a forest in Scotland. The estate's first release in 1997 gained magnificent praise. In 2002 they acquired their historic property in Lyndoch, and then in 2008, the estate was bought by Pete Knight. Today, with the prodigious stewardship of Ian Hongell, this estate has rapidly ascended into the Australian elite.
Torbreck "has it all" - it has some of the finest terroirs in Barossa, a superstar winemaking team and multiple vineyards planted exclusively with vines well over 100 years old. To this day, Torbreck sources much of the fruit used to produce its incredible wines from selected farmers throughout the region - a continuation of David Powell's early belief in the concept of "shared farming". The team at Torbreck are highly involved in the farming regimes at their contractors' sites, but the belief that generational growers can coax the best out of their family terroirs is firmly held by Ian Hongell et al.
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South Australia | 1 | 98+ (WA) | HK$13,888.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98+)Very deep purple-black colored, Torbreck's 2010 The Laird offers an extraordinary perfume of Chinese five spice, sandalwood, rose petals, espresso and licorice over a core of prunes, dried mulberries and blackcurrant preserves plus a touch of cloves. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and packed with dried black fruits and exotic spice flavors, the generous fruit is structured with velvety tannins and just enough freshness. It finishes with commendable persistence. |
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South Australia | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$14,780.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)There's no denying the power and concentration of Torbreck's 2013 The Laird. The fruit is impressive, the oak luxurious, the texture velvety, yet I can't help but wonder if it needs to spend that extra time in barrel. Complex notes of baking spices, licorice and pepper add nuance to the Christmas-cake flavors and somehow emerge savory on the long finish. It's a wonderful wine, but would I rather have three bottles of RunRig? Without question. |
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South Australia | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$10,500.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)Torbreck's 2015 The Laird boasts explosive aromas of Christmas spices, ripe plums, vanilla, hickory smoke and maple syrup. It's a big wine, loaded with fruit and oak, full-bodied, rich and velvety, adding hints of toasted coconut and cinnamon streusel on the long, almost dessert-like finish. For a more savory experience, age it a decade or so before pulling a cork. |
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South Australia | 1 | 99 (JS) | HK$15,020.00 | |||||
James Suckling (99)A distinctive and very concentrated, single-parcel shiraz that offers a rich plum and raisin nose with plenty of tarry notes and a swathe of baking spices. The palate is packed with rich, dark-plum and black-fruit flavors and the long, strong hold on the finish lasts for minutes. So intense, this is their finest Laird to date. Best from 2028. |
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South Australia | 2 | 20 (MJ) | HK$10,800.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (20)The Laird is used to being top dog at Torbreck and now that The Forebear has arrived it will have to share the throne. Has this worried The Laird? Not a bit of it because it has allowed this wine to become even more of a showman. 2019 is a particularly un-Laird-like vintage! It is finally enjoying its celebrity status instead of acting monkish and reclusive in the glass. When you wear a massive price tag and appeal to a different level of wine nerd, these feelings are inevitable. Self-doubt, reflection and nervousness are all part and party of a superstar lifestyle, however, with The Forebear presumably sucking up column inches and taking the spotlight off The Laird for a moment or two, this wine has returned, rightly, to loving life. As these two opened up in the glass, The Laird sprinted past The Forebear, high-fiving its fans with gleamingly bright fruit and epic length. Of course, this is an incredible creation, and it is used to attracting nose-bleed scores from the critics, but there is a new lease of life here that has allowed The Laird to relax and finally enjoy its position at the top of the pile (alongside its new stablemate). But will it retain its position out front? I wouldn’t bet on it. The Forebear has very special energy in its core. One final thought – are wines sentient beings? I have a few rather whacky ideas along these lines. For anyone who doubts this could be a possibility, if you taste the last couple of wines in this review, you could be forgiven for believing that they are and also that they know where they stand in relation to each other, appreciating their differences and relishing their familial ties. I believe. Do you? |
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