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More wines available from Torbreck
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck Descendant 2016
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$126.92
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:
$233.59
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...
Pre-Arrival
Torbreck RunRig 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$215.78
As usual, the 2017 RunRig is approximately 2% Viognier. It spent almost 30 months in oak, 40% of which was new. Hints...
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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: Syrah
There continues to be much debate surrounding the name of the Shiraz/Syrah grape varietal, with many experts still quite unsure which came first. Indeed, even the origins of this varietal are more or less unknown, despite it being most commonly associated with the Rhone Valley of France, and New World countries, most notably Australia. However, its popularity and unique characteristics have seen it planted all over the world, where it continues to impress with its powerful flavors and wonderfully spicy notes of pepper and clove. Shiraz/Syrah wines are renowned also for their versatility, and are regularly used in single variety still and sparkling wines, as well as blended and oak aged wines which demonstrate its ability to express its terroir and secondary flavors very well.
Region: Barossa
The Barossa Valley in Australia is home to the country's finest vineyards, and has been the premier wine region of Australia for several decades now. First established by German settlers in the late 19th century, Barossa Valley suffered a drop in reputation in the 1950s and 60s, with most of their produce being used only for blending purposes. Thanks to the vision and ambition of several unique and interesting wineries which decided to make Barossa their home, the reputation of this excellent region was restored over the past four decades due to the excellence of the produce coming out of Barossa, and the efforts made to demonstrate the real qualities of Australia's Shiraz wines. Today, a wide range of grape varietals are grown on the fine soil and in the temperate climate of Barossa, and they are enjoyed across the globe.
Country: Australia
Whilst every Australian state has some level of wine production, it is in South Australia and on the island of Tasmania where the finest wines are made to the highest quantities. Here, the scorching Australian sun is a little tamer, and the heat is tempered by brisk oceanic winds, making the climate of these regions ideal for vineyard cultivation. The Tamar Valley on Tasmania has been making waves internationally in recent years, as both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varietals are thriving there and resulting in hugely flavorful wines, which are at once distinctly Australian, yet remain unique and interesting enough to surprise and impress. Elsewhere in the country, the Syrah grape (known locally as Shiraz) reigns supreme, as the long, hot summers allow these grapes to ripen fully and lend their intensely fruit-forward character to the ruby red Australian wines, which have such international appeal.