Australia
Torbreck – Shiraz
Torbreck Winery
Since 1994, Torbreck has been committed to creating exceptional Rhone style red and white wines reflecting the very best vineyards in Australia’s famous Barossa Valley.
Torbreck proprietor Pete Kight believes the Barossa Valley is the most exciting place to make wine in the world, with its gentle Mediterranean climate and 175 years of Silesian and English commitment to winemaking and grape-growing.
There is a European sense of tradition here that means vines planted in the 1840s – many of them Rhone varieties such as Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvédre – still thrive and bear fruit of unique concentration and flavor.
Torbreck pays tribute to these vineyards with minimal intervention, creating wines of richness, structure and length that age gracefully.
The multi-generational growers, whose descendants arrived here nearly two centuries ago, are the backbone of Torbreck’s winemaking aspirations. Without their knowledge of the seasons and the soil, there would not be such a precious resource of fruit with which to work.
Torbreck has also been fortunate to have the opportunity to invest in the protection of some of the Barossa Valley’s most precious vineyards after accepting fruit from them over many years. The historic Hillside Vineyard at Lyndoch, The Laird Vineyard in the sub-region of Marananga and the Greenock Keller Vineyard owned by the Schultz family, are all now under the custodianship of Torbreck.
In 2008 this long-term commitment to the Barossa Valley was cemented when Torbreck completed their winery and bottling line, enabling them to achieve maximum quality control through 100% estate vinification, maturation and packaging.
Torbreck’s latest development was the 2017 expansion of the original settler’s cottage cellar door to become an international guest center. Torbreck has achieved a lot in less than three decades, but the journey is a long way from complete. Torbreck’s proprietor Pete Kite believes the best Barossa grapes are yet to be picked and the finest Torbreck wines are yet to be made.
2022 Woodcutter’s Shiraz
“You’d imagine a high country Scottish Woodcutter might like a satisfying red at the end of the day – something rich, warming, full-bodied and affordable.” This 100% Shiraz wine reflects the up and coming Shiraz vineyards of the Barossa Valley, rather than the battle hardened old vines that make up the core of other cuvee’s. But like all Torbreck wines, Woodcutter’s Shiraz receives the very best viticultural and winemaking treatment. Although this wine is constantly praised for its succulence and richness, there is also a complexity and texture which is rarely found at this price.
The 2022 vintage was characterized by above average winter rains making up for a dry autumn, leading to full canopies and healthy vines for the harvest. A severe hail storm across some parts of the Barossa Valley in late October resulted in lower average yields.
The summer was remarkably mild. Slow ripening in the cooler conditions made for a gentle and drawn out vintage season, resulting in wines with higher natural acidity, rich colors and fine tannins. The wines from 2022 will reward those patient enough to cellar them away.
Lifted blue and black fruits of blueberry conserve, mulberry, wild blackberry and black plum. There is a forest note that exhibits characters such as sandalwood, rosemary and wild thyme.
Soft caressing tannins and voluptuous mouthfeel from plump Shiraz berries gives this wine a posture that belies its pedigree. The poise and piquancy of the fruit sitting on top of the structured mouthfeel provides confidence to cellar for 5-10 years.