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Every now and then, in life and in wine, we are presented with unique opportunities to express ourselves and create something truly remarkable.

When rare opportunities arise, we need to capture, nurture and develop them so that their potential is fulfilled. So when Torbreck was given the opportunity to work with one of the most famous vineyards in the Barossa Valley, it became almost inevitable that the resulting wine would be truly remarkable.

In 2003, Torbreck growers and fourth generation descendants of the Seppelt family, Malcolm and Joylene Seppelt, asked our winemakers to create for them a small batch of Shiraz from their old Gnadenfrei vineyard in the sub-region of Marananga.

Planted in 1958, the five acre vineyard is traditionally dry grown and comes from an original Barossa clonal source. South facing, on the eastern side of a ridge separating the Seppeltsfield and Marananga appellations, these aged vines have been meticulously hand tended, traditionally farmed and pruned by a grower with a lifetime’s experience on Western Barossa soils of very dark, heavy clay loam over red friable clay. The resulting low yields of small, concentrated Shiraz berries make the vineyard the envy of all winemakers in the Barossa.

We looked longingly at the wine when it was returned to the Seppelts, knowing that it was the best we had ever made. In 2005 we convinced the Seppelts to sell Torbreck the fruit and The Laird was born. In 2013 Torbreck purchased the Gnadenfrei vineyard, securing The Laird’s reputation as one of the world’s great single vineyard Shiraz wines.

Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland and you’ll find more than a passing nod to the Celts in our wine naming conventions. The Laird of the Estate in Scotland is the Lord of the Manor and master of all he surveys.

Review:

I poured the 2017 The Laird, set it aside and got about doing other jobs for 45 minutes or so, to give it some room to breathe. And it does breathe. It has its own pulse and beat and life, and it flexes and moves in the mouth. This is incredibly enveloping, with aromas reminiscent of campfire coals, charred eucalyptus, lamb fat, roasted beetroot, black tea and a prowling sort of countenance. In the mouth, the wine is bonded and cohesive and seamless, there are no gaps between anything, no space between fruit, oak and tannin; it all comes as one. While this is a singular wine, it is so big and concentrated that it needs no accompaniment other than some fresh air and a good mate. It's denser than osmium and is impenetrable at this stage.

After working with the fruit for over a decade, Turkey is proud to present the first single-vineyard bottling for Turley from the Del Barba Vineyard. Contra Costa is a delta where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers meet, and these head-trained vines are planted in deep dehli blow sand, made up of decomposed granite coming down from the Sierra Mountains. The resulting wine embodies the best the delta has to offer: silken textures, ultra fine tannin, and dark saline fruits.

Review:

  "The 2023 Zinfandel del Barba is ripe, boisterous and super-expressive. Floral overtones and bright acids run through a core of red/purplish fruit. Sandy soils confer lovely aromatic presence to this pure Zinfandel. This is an especially accessible offering from Turley."

-Vinous 91-93 Points

Irresistible ripened plums and opulent dusty blackberries lift the senses, alluring the nose to tertiary notes of delicate florals and intriguing mineral edges. Balance is the defining quality of this wine; even in its youth, 2021 Black Label is resolutely complete from beginning to end. Every element is in place, as dimpled yet silky tannins unfold with grace and finesse, revealing a core of power and depth. Broad strokes of black mulberries, crème de cassis, and juniper accelerate through the mid-palate with captivating width and focus. This thrilling dance culminates in a stunning finish of opulent and elegant dark fruits that persist with each sip, leaving an indelible impression of the near-perfect growing season that shaped the Fortuna Vineyard—full of power and sinue—and Leopoldina Vineyard—full of poise and intention—in the 2021 vintage.

"Stunning stuff, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label offers a full-bodied, deep, majestic style as well as beautiful aromatics of cr me de cassis, violets, flowers, and nicely integrated background oak. It has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a regal, age-worthy style that has so much to love. It, however, is not going to be for the instant gratification crowd and this actually shut down pretty quickly with air. I would hide bottle for 4-6 years and it s going to cruise over the following two decades in cold cellars."

- 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of truffle, blackberries, cassis bud and tobacco with tight polished tannins. A vertical structure and persistent intensity.

Review:

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) with the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Incredible aromatics of red and black currants, spring flowers, graphite, camphor, and cedar define the aromatics, and it's incredibly polished and elegant on the palate, with medium to full body, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish. This is another awesome 2019 that matches ample richness and depth with a terrific sense of finesse.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points

W & J Graham's Vintage Port is made from  35% Touriga Nacional, 47% Touriga Franca and various others.

It is with great pleasure that Graham's announces the declaration of the 2000 Vintage, a wine that has been deemed to meet our very exacting standards, and one that shows every promise of living up to the reputation of the very best Vintage ports that the Twentieth Century provided.

This is a landmark wine for Graham's, not only being the first Vintage of a new millennium, but being the first Vintage wine to enjoy the extraordinary results achieved by the new robotic 'lagares' at Malvedos in the inaugural year of our remodelled winery. Significant also has been the decision to include a rather larger proportion of mature Touriga Francesa and Touriga Nacional from Vila Velha, a classic riverside Quinta a short distance downstream from Malvedos, and some spectacular old vine lots from Vale de Malhadas in the Upper Douro. These wines each from family-owned Quintas have been used to reinforce the predominant component from Malvedos and the traditional excellence of the Rio Torto lots from Lages, to produce a rounded and even blend in the hallmark rich Graham style.

Picking began at Malvedos on September 22nd and the last lagar was run off on October 10th, an unusually short and compact Vintage. Fruit arrived in good condition although yields were less than three quarters of a kilogram per vine, and the juice to skin ratio well below normal. 2000 was a year noted for a very low average yield across the Douro, and with the grapes unusually lacking in liquid, the extra amount of treading work required made it an ideal time to employ our new, tireless, mechanical treaders alongside the two original 1890 stone lagares still worked by human feet. It was evident early on in the Vintage from the colour and aroma of the fermenting musts that we were looking at a spectacular year, and after the usual waiting period of sixteen months or so to see how the lots would develop, we have now made our final selection and assembled the final blend.

The blend displays many of the typical Graham aromas of ripe plum and 'esteva' (gum cistus) and is pleasantly smooth on the palate despite its youth. It is full and rich in the mouth with fresh blackberry and red plum notes. Despite the hallmark Graham sweetness in the mouth the finish is long and clean.

As with all Graham Vintages, this is a wine made to last for years and the patience of laying down the wine for fifteen to twenty years will certainly be rewarded.

Wolfberger Alsace Grand Cru Riesling Rangen de Thann is made from 100 percent Riesling. 

 Mineral, spicy, minty with some eucalyptus notes, tropical fruits, grapefruit. Balanced and exotic in the finish, with long lasting flavors.

The Rangen Grand Cru is located in Thann, deep in the south of Alsace. Its particular soil is made of volcano-clastic rocks that drink up the heat of the day and send it back out again at night. The composition of the soil allows the roots of the vines to drink deeply from the mineral-rich sub-soil. Its southern exposure has the advantage of refreshing, drying winds in case of dampness. The high slopes are quite steep, reaching 68% in some places, requiring that the harvest be done by abseiling or roping down. Perfect for aging, these wines will reveal even more qualities after several years in the cellar.

Pair with Serve with fish, seafood, sushi, sashimi, goat cheese, vegetarian food.

   Review:

"Aromas shimmy out of the glass. An enticing haze of petrol is lifted by lime and grapefruit zest, as well as pineapple. The texture of this wind is smooth and heavy, but the acidity and citrus notes bring freshness and light. A long finish carries just a hint of menthol. - LAYLA SCHLACK"

- Wine Enthusiast (November 2021), 93 pts