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Torbreck: "Cutting Edge Australia"

Having emerged from the Winter months, we couldn�t think of a more appropriate cover feature than the warm, sun-filled wines of Torbreck from Australia�s Barossa valley. Although founded in 1994, Torbreck began in 1992, while Dave Powell (right, pressing in 1994) was working for Rockford Winery, one of the Barossa Valley�s most highly-regarded estates. It was during this time that Powell discovered and nurtured back to health some neglected dry-farmed old vines Shiraz in the valley and began making a small amount of wine from the grapes. Over time he secured a contract for the supply of grapes from a run down ancient Shiraz Vineyard and the rest is history. Dave decided to name his wine Torbreck (in 1995) after a forest in Scotland where he had previously worked as a lumberjack. Today, his grapes are sourced from select vineyards within the Barossa Valley and his wines are made from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre in keeping with his love of the wines of France�s Rhone Valley. His winemaking philosophy focuses on the quality of raw materials coming out of the vineyard and a minimal approach in the winery to preserve the purity and character of the Barossa Valley old vines fruit. As a result, Torbreck has emerged as one of Australia�s best and most highly regarded wineries and we are pleased to share these very special wines with you this month.
	TORBRECK 2007 SEMILLON �WOODCUTTERS� $15.98 [#377558] Semillon was one of the first white grape varieties planted in the Barossa Valley over 160 years ago so it is quite at home in the region. This wonderful white is less lemony than its Hunter Valley counterparts but the very old low yielding Semillon vines produce grapes that result in rounder, broader style wines. This enticing white offers up wonderful aromas of smoked hazelnuts and honeysuckle along with a creamy yet fresh palate of spiced exotic fruit flavors and a flinty minerality. An outstanding introduction to Semillon.

	TORBRECK 2006 SHIRAZ �WOODCUTTERS� $17.98 [#377455] Like the Semillon, this wine is named for the period when Dave Powell was working as a woodcutter in the Torbreck forest in Scotland. It�s a perennial customer favorite at Hi-Time and we continue receiving requests for the wine throughout the year long after it is sold out. "Woodcutters" is one of the best values going and it over-delivers in our estimation. Packed with hand selected fruit, it�s brimming with fresh ripe aromas of black raspberry, tea, white pepper and spice and loaded with richly textured and layered flavors of blackberry, bluberry and plum. Powell ages this wine in large used oak barrels and avoids the excessive oakiness found in so many Shirazs in this price range. An outstanding value not to be missed. Robert Parker 92 points.

	TORBRECK 2007 �JUVENILES� GRENACHE/ MOURVEDRE/SHIRAZ $16.98 [#377715] Originally �Juveniles� was made by Powell for an ex-pat Englishman friend of his who operates a wine bar in Paris of the same name. Like Dave, wine bar owner Tim Johnston is a Rh�ne wine devotee so this wine was the perfect fit. Fortunately for us, it�s been available in the US for several years and this may be the very best yet. We were immediately taken with its vivid fruit, expressive flavors and wonderful balance and cannot say enough about it. It�s very Rhone-like with bright red fruits, white pepper spice and meaty notes on the nose and impeccable balance and freshness on the palate with juicy, mouthwatering raspberry and Santa Rosa plum flavors. We�re bullish on this one and urge you to go big.

	TORBRECK 2007 MARSANNE/ ROUSANNE $32.98 [#378160] This Rhone style white is made from very low yield grapes from the Descendant vineyard and combines barrel fermented Marsanne with tank fermented Rousanne. Since the grapes are picked fairly late, it�s a bit lower in acidity but blessed with ample texture and flavor. Floral blossoms, honeysuckle, mandarin orange and minerals abound on the nose while the palate is rich and opulent making this an ideal wine with seafood and white meats (or on its own!). Here�s a fantastic alternative to Chardonnay that�s sure to please.

	TORBRECK 2005 �THE STEADING� GRENACHE/SHIRAZ/MOURVEDRE $31.98 [#377411] For Dave Powell, �'The Steading' is a labor of love as this wine represents his ode to the original ungrafted old vines of the Barossa Valley. This special wine is the result of 45 separate parcels of fruit that are fermented and aged separately prior to the final blending and bottling. It�s a Chateauneuf-du-Pape style blend that is rich and powerful yet balanced as it avoids the portiness and excessive alcoholic qualities of so many of its contemporaries. We love this for its layers of black raspberry and kirsch along with intriguing notes of garrigue, spices and distinct earthiness. "The Steading" is always one of our personal favorites that combines New World fruit with Old World sensibilities and it�s a tour-de-force wine from start to finish. Robert Parker 93 points.

	TORBRECK 2005 � THE STRUIE� $49.98 [#377314] "The Struie" seems to get lost in the shuffle every year until folks figure out how good it is. With this wine the focus is on cooler climate Shiraz from parcels in the Eden and Barossa Valleys. The Eden Valley fruit is sourced from 44-year-old vines located 400-500 meters above sea level. These grapes ripen up to two weeks later than most of the Barossa and result in wines with distinctive cool climate characteristics that are a bit more structured and tightly wound in their youth. When combined with fruit from 80-year-old Barossa hillside vines, "Struie" offers enticing aromas of blackberries, licorice and pepper and an alluring palate of sliky smooth black fruit with outstanding balance and finish. Put this one in the cellar for a couple of years and prepare to be impressed. Robert Parker 94 points.

	TORBRECK 2005 SHIRAZ �THE FACTOR� $94.98 [#377292] "The Factor" is made from some of the finest parcels of old vine Shiraz in the Barossa Valley. The yields from these lots range from 1-1.5 tons per acre in a region where 6 tons per acre is commonplace. This truly is one of the great Australian Shirazs in our estimation. Enough said. Robert Parker 97 points.

	TORBRECK 2006 SHIRAZ/VIOGNIER �DESCENDANT� $96.98 [#377410] "Descendant" is a single vineyard property adjacent to the Torbreck Winery that was planted by Powell in 1994 from cuttings off old Runrig vineyards. As such, the wine bears the same name. "Descendant" was the first co-fermented Shiraz/Viognier in Barossa and many have followed in recent years. Powell likens this wine to a Cornas in that the clay soils here yield rich, textured and savory grapes, but the addition of Viognier adds a dimension of perfume and palate texture not found in Cornas. "Descendant" offers a unique combination of spicy blackberry and mulberry fruit aromas with earth and floral notes as well as a tightly knit, ultra-concentrated palate of polished black fruit with meaty nuances. There�s some impressive structure here and this wine will require some cellaring to be truly appreciated. A world class Shiraz and a well-deserved Robert Parker 97 points!

	TORBRECK 2005 MATARO �THE PICT� $133.98 [#377321] We defer to Dave Powell on this one: "The Pictish race, one of the founding races of the British Isles, arrived in Scotland from Brittany in about the 15th century BC in what was known as the Heroic Age. Migrating from Northwest France, they sailed northward to Ireland where they were refused permission to land. The Pict were fierce warriors. In some old stories these fearsome fighting men tear off their clothes and rush into battle becoming so frenzied by blood-lust that they chew holes in their own shields... Made solely from a tiny, single plot of ancient head-pruned, bush wine Mataro in the sandy quartz soils of Northern Greenock, this is about as rich and decadent a wine as you could imagine-- easily enough to satiate a Pictish warrior from the Heroic Age.

	TORBRECK 2005 SHIRAZ VIOGNIER �RUNRIG� $189.98 [#378755] �Runrig� is the flagship wine of Torbreck and considered one of the top red wines of Australia. It�s a big, focused and structured wine with near port-like concentration and endowed with rich, liqueur-like blackberry and cassis fruit. It�s received 99 points from Robert Parker the past four vintages and we think this vintage will merit much the same.

	TORBRECK 2005 MUSCAT BLANC �THE BOTHIE� DESSERT WINE $14.98 [#377557] In Powell�s words: "A sweet wine at Torbreck was always going to be something slightly different and we�ve been tinkering away at it since 2001. Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains from John Nietschke�s Ebenezer vineyard is harvested in several stages to achieve different levels of ripeness, creating a myriad of potential flavors. "The Bothie" typically displays lifted aromas of rose water, honeydew melon, lime and geranium. It�s a very versatile wine that can be enjoyed at the start of a meal or nicely chilled at the end with fresh fruit, ice creams or sorbets.�

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