Torbreck’s Finest:
From the marvelous 2015, 2016, 2021 & 2022 Vintages –
With 3 x RunRigs, 2 x The Factors, Les Amis, The Descendant and The Gask.
“My Winery of the Year is Torbreck.”
“Ever since Ian Hongell was appointed winemaker at Torbreck, the wines have sky-rocketed in precision, impact and detail. The red wines have improved beyond all expectations, and the whites have also done so.”
— Matthew Jukes, 100 Best Australian Wines 2022/23
“Torbreck is among Australia's top producers.”
“In short, for consumers seeking bold, flavorful wines that reflect their origins, Torbreck is among Australia's top producers.”
— Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
“Torbreck wines are more polished and better than ever these days.”
“The Laird has the concentration, weight and power of a true iconic wine, but also the elegance and balance to raise it above the ruck, and the ageworthiness to make it super-collectable.”
— Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Hosted by: Winemaker Scott McDonald
Tasting: 5:30-7pm, 8 Wines with Nibbles $75
Dinner: 7:30pm, 11 Wines & 5 Courses $225
Wednesday June 25th
Masterclass Wine List:
1st Bracket
Steading Blanc ’2022
2nd Bracket
Juveniles Rouge 2023
Steading '2023
3rd Bracket
The Struie '2023
The Gask '2023
4th Bracket
Descendant '2022
Factor '2022
RunRig '2022
Dinner Wine List
1st Course
Steading Blanc ’2022
2nd Course
Steading '2023
Steading '2022 (Magnum)
Les Amis Grenache '2022
3rd Course
Descendant '2022
Factor '2022
Factor '2021 (Magnum)
Factor ’2016 (Magnum)
4th Course
RunRig '2022
RunRig '2016
RunRig '2015
Torbreck Context:
The Torbreck new releases are always an exciting suite of wines to taste through, as they straddle a delicate line: they are true to their traditional Torbreck roots—the very thing that made the brand famous—in that they are lusty, powerful, full-throttle wines that represent the power and density that the Barossa (and Eden, where relevant) is capable of. However, they do so with a measure of grace and elegance.
Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate April 2024
It’s 30 years since cult winery Torbreck was established in the Barossa – and plenty has changed in that time, from ownership to viticulture and winemaking. Through it all, however, the central ethos of expressing the quality of some of the oldest vines on the planet remains.
The Drink Business March 2024
…Torbreck is still a powerhouse of impactful old vine Barossa reeds, but it is the detail and nuance in the wines that is seeing it enhance its already shimmering reputation.
Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion October 2024
The Wine List & Menu
On arrival
The Steading Blanc 2022 , Our Price $39
There’s a waxy, dried apple and pear character with light cedar. It’s medium-bodied with creamy texture and a flavorful finish. Balanced and lightly oily, but remains vivid. Wild ferment. Roussanne, marsanne and viognier. Screw cap. Drink now.
94 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
First Bracket
Juveniles Rouge 2023, Our Price $27
The Steading 2023, Our Price $43
Lifted and perfumed aromas of blackberries, violets, boysenberries, dark cherries, tar and spices. The palate is is finely tuned and tightly wound, with bright and focused flavors of red peppercorns, tobacco leaves, cured meat and dark chocolate. There is lovely transparency and vibrancy from a cool vintage aged in foudres for 18 months. A blend of 57% grenache, 33% shiraz and 10% mataro. Drink or hold.
94 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2025)
The Steading 2022 (Magnum), Our Price $94
The 2022 The Steading is juicy, fleshy and aromatically abundant. It is routinely a reliably satisfying wine, and it has been ever since I started drinking wine. Framed by this fine, fresh, late vintage, the Steading looks better than ever, with raspberry, licorice, mulberry, star anise and a hint of aniseed. Super! 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
94+ Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (April 2025)
Les Amis Grenache 2022, Our Price $213
Meaty and savory, with aromas of blood plums, iodine, fresh herbs, graphite, licorice and eucalyptus. The palate is full-bodied with silky yet firmly framed tannins and flavors of pomegranates, dark chocolate, mulberries and black olives. Well balanced and poised. Drink or hold.
94 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2025)
Second Course
The Struie '2023, Our Prive $52
The Gask '2023, Our Price $81
Descendant '2022, Our Price $138
Lovely aromas of blackberries, violets, ink, dark chocolate, graphite, black olives, peaches and graphite. The palate is tightly wound, with silky tannins and bright acidity that is harmoniously in balance. Flavors of dark chocolate, blood plums, pomegranates and licorice root. Perfumed, savory, intense and pure. An exceptional release of this wine, with 8% viognier co-fermented with shiraz. Drink or hold.
97 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2025)
Third Bracket
The Factor Shiraz 2022, Our Price $138
Intensely perfumed and densely packed aromas of blackberry compote, blood plums, graphite, tar, grilled meat, violets, olive tapenade, coffee beans and sweet spices. The palate is full-bodied with a viscous, velvety texture and tannins that melt over the palate. Great freshness underneath the power, with a high level of polish while embodying a classic Barossa shiraz. Drink or hold.
96 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2025)
The Factor 2021 (Magnum), Our Price $302
The 2021 The Factor is a blend of vineyard sites (Krondorf, Rowland Flat, Greenock and Marananga) and is 100% Shiraz (Syrah). On the nose, it offers a complete vision of Barossa Shiraz—chewy, supple, spicy, big, expansive and voluminous. It has a way of being both structural and inviting and flows long through the finish. This is a very good wine here, classy, comforting and evocative, and while silky, it's also pleasingly regional. The tannins are gently chewy through the finish, which I like very much. Good! 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
96+ Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (April 2024)
The Factor 2016 (Magnum), Our Price $377
Dark fruit with iodine, muscle shell and hints of coal on the palate. Full-bodied, very tight and structured with steely tannins that give incredible length and poise. The greatest Factor I have ever tasted. Driven and brilliant. Better after 2021.
98 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (May 2019)
Fourth Bracket
RunRig 2022, Our Price $315
The 2022 RunRig had 2% Viognier added to the Syrah after barrel maturation, from the current vintage. I've clarified this with winemaker Ian Hongell, because my incorrect memory ran toward skins only. Glad I asked. Aromatically, the wine is so fresh and detailed; it hints at latent power and intense concentration, but it doesn't overbear on this point. On the palate, the wine has everything we could hope for—intense, balanced red fruit, a splay of ductile tannins and such a light fluffiness to the profile that I find it most appealing indeed. The discussion here today is regarding the comparison to the great 2021 vintage. It was a freak, out-of-the-box year that blessed producers with a spot-free growing season, good yields and excellent quality fruit. The wines, for the most part, will endure through the decades with grace and ease. The 2022s are tighter, fluffier, more fruit forward and, in my opinion, slightly more delicious, but over the long term, backing the 2021s to go the distance seems the blue-chip option. We can discuss this again in 20 years (2045) when that answer will have become more clear. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast." I love this wine today. It's a superstar. 15.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
98 Points Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (April 2025)
RunRig 2016, Our Price $441
A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Viognier made just prior to bottling, the 2016 RunRig is a complete masterpiece. It kicks off with elegant notes of pencil shavings accenting blueberries and blackberries on the nose, then shows incredible, palate-staining intensity of fruit in the mouth. It's full-bodied, plush and velvety without being unstructured and manages to be fruit-forward yet savory on the long-lasting finish, where it picks up hints of mocha and black olives. This should be drinkable with pleasure throughout its entire two-decade life (it may live longer from cold cellars or in larger formats), but if I were lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I'd try the first one about 10 years out. Scheduled for June 2019 release.
100 Points Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate (March 2019)
RunRig 2015, Our Price $466
Who would've thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? It's certainly much less expensive than Grange or Hill of Grace will be when they're released. It's also more approachable in its youth, with enormously appealing aromas of grilled fruit, savory complexities and rich, velvety tannins. Of course, it's full-bodied and concentrated, with the stuffing to age for up to a couple of decades, and it has a long, licorice-tinged finish. Winemaker Ian Hongell, who joined Torbreck from Peter Lehmann, may not have made this wine, but he deserves a lot of credit for the blending and finishing of this tour de force.
98 Points Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate (March 2018)