Winemaker Notes
A perennial favorite, Grenache from old vines shows its ability to exhibit lifted florals, juicy red fruit characters such as wild red cherry, pomegranate and red currant along with wild Provençal herbs in a bouquet-garni. The addition of Rhone varietals Counoise and Carignan add a savoury and spicy complexity complementing Mataro aromas of beef jerky and Chinese five spice. The palate exhibits a medium-bodied texture with long acidity balancing a fruit freshness around a slightly firmer tannin frame than previous vintages.
Serve with an array of cuisines including spicy Asian or Mexican dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Cuvée Juveniles is an iconic name in contemporary Barossan wine. A young drinking wine by design, a blend of 45% grenache, 36% mataro, 17%, carignan and 2% counoise, light on the oak, big on drinkability. High-toned with purple floral and jasmine top notes, juicy red fruits and layered spice, gingerbread, biltong and exotic spice from the mataro, fine, silty tannins and just an effortless, slurpy, easy-drinking vibe.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
You may know Torbreck for the concentrated old-vine reds David Powell made until his departure in 2013. Juveniles, now made by Ian Hongell, is a different take on the old, dry-farmed vines of Barossa, a blend of grenache and mataro, with some counoise and cinsault, aged in old oak barrels. In 2022, a wet winter and hot summer coasted into more moderate weather for ripening, sustaining the freshness in this wine’s fruit, as if the red fruit of the desert. It bristles with strawberry-red and black currant flavors, their sweet generosity contrasting the tarry savor of the tannins. The wine is bold, with a gracious spice that one taster described as marzipan curry. The distinctive complexity places Australia in Southeast Asia.
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Wine & Spirits
You may know Torbreck for the concentrated old-vine reds David Powell made until his departure in 2013. Juveniles, now made by Ian Hongell, is a different take on the old, dry-farmed vines of Barossa, a blend of grenache and mataro, with some counoise and cinsault, aged in old oak barrels. In 2022, a wet winter and hot summer coasted into more moderate weather for ripening, sustaining the freshness in this wine’s fruit, as if the red fruit of the desert. It bristles with strawberry-red and black currant flavors, their sweet generosity contrasting the tarry savor of the tannins. The wine is bold, with a gracious spice that one taster described as marzipan curry. The distinctive complexity places Australia in Southeast Asia.
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James Suckling
This is a really crunchy red made from grenache, mataro, carignan and counoise with plenty of bright fruit, with open tannins and a savory and spicy finish. Torbreck calls it a lunchtime red. Agreed. Delicious now.
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Wine Spectator
Stylish, with tangy cherry and berry flavors and notes of matcha, opening up to more spice and toast details. Shows cigar box and dried herbal notes, with a hint of sarsaparilla that lingers. Grenache, Mataro, Carignan and Counoise. Drink now. 4,500 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.