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More wines available from Torbreck
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck Descendant 2016
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$126.91
Viognier (6%) is co-fermented with Shiraz from RunRig cuttings planted in 1994. Like a great Côte-Rôtie, it starts...
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck Descendant 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$104.94
Consistently one of my favorites in the Torbreck lineup, this year's version, the 2017 Descendant, was co-fermented...
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck Les Amis 2009
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$235.48
The oak in the 2009 Les Amis is still apparent, but it's much better integrated than in the 2006. Hints of toasted...
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck RunRig 2015
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$217.71
Who would've thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? It's...
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Winery
Torbreck
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Semillon
Semillon grapes have been grown in the Old and New Worlds for several centuries, and were at one point probably the most widely grown grape in the world. Indeed, in the 19th century, over 90% of South Africa's vineyards were used for growing Semillon grapes, most probably due to the fact that Semillon vines are hardy and produce high yields of reliable quality, as well as being highly resistant to disease. The golden skinned grapes of Semillon vines are used to produce a wide range of wines, from dry, crisp and citrus flavored bottles, to sweeter, softer and more rounded examples, all of which are highly popular across the globe. They thrive in a wide range of climates, and their flavor often depends on how much sunshine and heat they are exposed to, given wineries a great opportunity to experiment with the flavors and aromas they get from the Semillon grapes they grow.
Region: Barossa
The Barossa Valley in Australia is one of the New World's most interesting wine regions, having been established in the late 19th century by German settlers. The region benefits enormously from the relatively temperate climate, which ranges from being hot on the lower parts of the valley, to quite cool as the altitude increases on the valley slopes. Barossa Valley produces mostly Shiraz wines, and has become one of the key Australian regions for this distinctive grape varietal which has gone on to be a major grape for the Australian wine industry. Despite suffering from a poor reputation in the mid 20th century, by the 1980s, plenty of unique and forward-thinking wineries set up in Barossa to take advantage of its excellent climate, and set about producing the excellent red and white wines which the region is famed for today.
Country: Australia
Whilst most of Australia consists of arid deserts and dense bushland, the oceanic coasts to the south of the country have a terrain and climate ideal for vine cultivation and wine production. It took several decades of failed attempts at the end of the 18th century in order to produce vines of a decent enough quality for making wine, but since those first false starts, the Australian wine industry has continued to grow and grow. Today, wine production makes up for a considerable part of the Australian economy, with exports in recent years reaching unprecedented levels and even overtaking France for the first time ever. Whilst the greatest successes in regards to quality have been the result of the Syrah grape varietal (known locally as Shiraz), Australia utilizes several Old World grapes, and has had fantastic results from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. As the Australian passion for locally produced wine continues to develop, wineries have begun experimenting with a wider range of grape varietals, meaning that nowadays it isn't uncommon to find high quality Australian wines made from Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier, amongst many others.